This book examines why the U.S. counterinsurgency campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan have failed
and presents a solution for future counterinsurgency campaigns that was developed and tested in
Afghanistan in the hope that it will spark a conversation that will shape the next
counterinsurgency war to U.S. advantage. The author argues that both development assistance and
counterinsurgency campaigns - which often go hand in hand - overwhelm weak states with too much
money too many projects and too many consultants leading to weaker rather than stronger
governments. The solution proposed was initially developed by David Petraeus but never
effectively implemented. Using an insider's perspective this volume explains the details of
this solution and the problem with its mis-implementation in Afghanistan.
