Which Tribe Should We Engage? A Tribal Engagement Assessment Methodology
Operators must understand local culture and must harness the power of local institutions to fight an irregular enemy. A proposed method to do so.
Iraq
The Galula Doctrine: An Interview with Galula's Biographer A.A. Cohen
For COIN, a trinity of attributes is needed to complement traditional military acumen: analytical intelligence, openness of mind, and broad culture.
About the Author(s)
The Empirical Studies of Conflict Project
Peter J. Munson
Wed, 01/16/2013 - 11:39pm
Editor's Note: The below was provided by the ESOC Directors.
We are pleased to announce the launch of the Empirical Studies of Conflict Project (ESOC) website, which can be accessed at http://esoc.princeton.edu/.
ESOC identifies, compiles, and analyzes micro-level conflict data and information on insurgency, civil war, and other sources of politically motivated violence worldwide. ESOC was established in 2008 by practitioners and scholars concerned by the significant barriers and upfront costs that challenge efforts to conduct careful sub-national research on conflict. The ESOC website is designed to help overcome these obstacles and to empower the quality of research needed to inform better policy and enhance security and good governance around the world.
We are pleased to announce the launch of the Empirical Studies of Conflict Project (ESOC) website, which can be accessed at http://esoc.princeton.edu/.
ESOC identifies, compiles, and analyzes micro-level conflict data and information on insurgency, civil war, and other sources of politically motivated violence worldwide. ESOC was established in 2008 by practitioners and scholars concerned by the significant barriers and upfront costs that challenge efforts to conduct careful sub-national research on conflict. The ESOC website is designed to help overcome these obstacles and to empower the quality of research needed to inform better policy and enhance security and good governance around the world.
The ESOC team includes about forty researchers (current and former) and is led by six members: Eli Berman, James D. Fearon, Joseph H. Felter, David Laitin, Jacob N. Shapiro, and Jeremy M. Weinstein.
The website is organized by countries and research themes. The six country pages are: Afghanistan, Colombia, Iraq, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The content is structured according to five themes: Demographic/Socioeconomic, Geography, Infrastructure, Public Opinion, and Violence. The website currently hosts about 45 ESOC data files, over 35 ESOC peer-reviewed publications (with replication data), and ten working papers. The ESOC team has also posted links to many external data repositories and external readings that have proven useful for analysis. The website will be regularly updated with new micro-level conflict data and contextual information, as it is compiled and submitted by ESOC researchers.
We are a new and evolving research network with limited staffing resources, so please accept our apologies if we’ve inadvertently overlooked key readings or acknowledgements. We welcome your suggestions on additional materials to host on the site.
Please contact us if you would like to contribute data relevant to ESOC. We are committed to archiving replication data and useful information on all the countries in which we work, and we anticipate expanding our coverage. Also, please share this resource with your colleagues and others who may benefit from our website.
Analyses can only be as good as the data supporting it. We hope ESOC’s commitment to making more and better quality data widely available as a public good will help raise the bar in the quality of conflict research being conducted and the important policies it informs.
Whole-of-Government Support for Irregular Warfare
Though discredited, the phased framework of shape-clear-hold-build remains applicable over time when adapted to local circumstances by harmonized independent stakeholders.
About the Author(s)
Saddam’s Generals: Perspectives of the Iran-Iraq War
Peter J. Munson
Fri, 12/07/2012 - 5:30am
Dr. Kevin Woods and his colleague Williamson Murray have brought to life the Iraqi perspective on various conflicts, ranging from Operation Desert Storm to their latest work on the Iran-Iraq War.
American Military Decline? Not When Force Is Used Properly
To think that America can’t or shouldn’t project its power globally when necessary is a mistake. America’s military struggles in the post-9/11 era have stemmed from improper application of military force.
About the Author(s)
Iraq in the Middle: Conclusion
In the final part of this series, Iraq expert Kirk Sowell shines a light on the country's murky foreign policy.
About the Author(s)
Rebalancing the US Military for 21st Century Threats
An interview with Janine Davidson.
About the Author(s)
We Have Encountered the Enemy... And it is Us
Understanding the great paradox of the U.S. military: the better our conventional capabilities, the more likely we are to face increasingly irregular and asymmetric threats.
About the Author(s)
Iraq in the Middle Part VII: Joost Hiltermann on Iraq’s Relations with Israel
The subject of Israel’s relations with Iraq does not make for headline news. If Israel attacks Iran, that could quickly change...
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