Soviet Union

The Three Misunderstandings of Soviet Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan

SWJED — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 15:58:47 +0000

The Three Misunderstandings of Soviet Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan SWJED Wed, 02/19/2020 - 10:58am

Several major actions taken by the United States and coalition in the last 18 years share much in common with the efforts of the Soviet Union during its combat operations in the country (1979-1989). It is therefore incumbent upon any student of the current conflict to firmly understand the Soviet conflict, its doctrine, execution, and most importantly, the Soviet methods of counterinsurgency.

The Three Misunderstandings of Soviet Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan

SWJED — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 14:39:54 +0000

The Three Misunderstandings of Soviet Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan SWJED Wed, 01/15/2020 - 9:39am

Several major actions taken by the United States and coalition in the last 18 years share much in common with the efforts of the Soviet Union during its combat operations in the country (1979-1989).

Same Dog, New Tricks: Trends in Russian Intelligence Services

SWJED — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 10:48:30 +0000

Same Dog, New Tricks: Trends in Russian Intelligence Services SWJED Mon, 09/23/2019 - 6:48am

Russian intelligence has adapted to exploit modern tools and the host of vulnerabilities they present, building on a robust history of exploiting the open access to media and information that are hallmarks of western, democratic societies. Russian confidence is at an all-time high, where intelligence activities are conducted with little regard for political costs.

Great Power Failure in the ‘Hot Wars’ of the Cold War: A Strategic Theory Analysis

SWJED — Wed, 06 Mar 2019 05:35:23 +0000

Great Power Failure in the ‘Hot Wars’ of the Cold War: A Strategic Theory Analysis

This uses different theories to analyze why great powers were unsuccessful in the ‘hot wars’ of the Cold War, using the Soviet-Afghan War and Vietnam War as primary case studies. In both instances, the great powers were unable to overcome the paradoxes of asymmetric warfare.

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Did Reagan Defeat the Soviets in Afghanistan?

SWJED — Sat, 14 Oct 2017 06:12:18 +0000

Did Reagan Defeat the Soviets in Afghanistan? SWJED Sat, 10/14/2017 - 2:12am

For many years after the withdrawal, it appeared that the so-called ‘Reagan Offensive’ in its political pressure and provision of arms to Afghan rebels was the overwhelming factor.

Abu Sayyaf Crime, Ideology, Autonomy Movement? The Complex Evolution of a Militant Islamist Group in the Philippines

Peter J. Munson — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 09:30:00 +0000

Abu Sayyaf Crime, Ideology, Autonomy Movement? The Complex Evolution of a Militant Islamist Group in the Philippines Peter J. Munson Mon, 10/22/2012 - 5:30am

Throughout its existence beginning in the early 1990s, ASG has waffled back and forth between criminality and terrorism.

Milton Bearden's Requiem for a Russian Spy

Peter J. Munson — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 11:45:00 +0000

Milton Bearden's Requiem for a Russian Spy

In an article in Foreign Policy, Milton Bearden, former CIA case officer and station chief in Pakistan from 1986-1989 during the Soviet war in Afghanistan, writes a requiem for the spy that was his Karla.

On the second-to-last day of March, Leonid Vladimirovich Shebarshin, the former head of the KGB's foreign intelligence arm and chairman of the KGB -- for a single day in the turmoil of the August 1991 coup attempt against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev -- died in his central Moscow apartment, apparently taking his own life. ...

His death marks the end of an era, the passing of one of the most thoughtful, cultured, and effective leaders of the redoubtable Cold War KGB. He was a master spy, a central figure in the tumultuous half-century contest between the CIA and the KGB, and a true believer in the Soviet dream until the very end. He never wavered; he never apologized.

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Waging COIN in Afghanistan: An Interview with Colonel Robert M. Cassidy

Peter J. Munson — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 10:05:55 +0000

Waging COIN in Afghanistan: An Interview with Colonel Robert M. Cassidy Peter J. Munson Fri, 06/15/2012 - 6:05am

COIN, organizational culture, and leadership - how they have interplayed in Afghanistan over the past several decades.