Russia Transfers Ukraine War Doctrine to Syria by Oren Dorell, USA Today
… Russia's recent involvement in Syria's civil war is similar in some ways to its intervention in eastern Ukraine, where it exploited ethnic conflict, provided weapons, employed volunteers and irregular forces and tried to deceive the West about its intentions.
That approach is what Russia's chief of the general staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, calls "new generation warfare."
The Russian military doctrine "combines low-end, hidden state involvement with high-end, direct, even braggadocio, superpower involvement," said Phillip Karber, president of the Potomac Foundation military consultancy. Karber has briefed U.S. military leaders on Russia's military behavior in the Ukraine conflict, based on observations during more than a dozen field visits…
Comments
Outlaw:
You said above "it is almost as if the political leadership does not really care what happens outside DC."
Given the "losses" of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos during the Old Cold War, one could make, I would guess, a similar claim re: former President Nixon and his grand strategy of retrenchment back in the day. Yes?
Thus, political leadership "not caring" about less/non-important states and societies, this being:
a. Consistent with a grand strategy of retrenchment. And, indeed,
b. An assignment of significant intelligence assets elsewhere?
Outlaw:
President Obama, much like President Nixon before him, has adopted a grand strategy of "retrenchment."
These such retrenchment strategies accept, I believe, that "losses" -- of less vital/non-vital states and societies -- may occur.
Thus, under President Nixon's retrenchment grand strategy, the "dominoes" fell -- with South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia joining the communist world.
Herein to suggest that if under President Obama, Ukraine and Syria "fall" to Russia, this will have:
a. Less to do with being caught "flat-footed" and
b. More to do with an understanding that "losses" of this nature (of less vital/non-vital states and societies); these are often part and parcel -- literally SOP -- re: a grand strategy of retrenchment.
It does not good to spend hours discussing non liner warfare when the US political leadership never develops a strategic strategy to counter non linear warfare.
Caught flat footed in Crimea, the eastern Ukraine Russian invasion in August 2014 and the Russian military moves in Syria--it is almost as if the political leadership does not really care what happens outside DC.
Full version from the Potomac Foundation's site:
http://www.thepotomacfoundation.org/russia-transfers-ukraine-war-doctri…