The insurgent hides in plain sight.

Geneva Conventions, the so-called rules governing warfare, require combatants to wear uniforms or, at a minimum, bear arms to distinguish themselves from civillians.

The insurgent will not do this, for it would eliminate his only advantage--invisibility.

To take away the invisibility of the insurgent, make a perfect list.

Abraham Lincoln wrote, when laying out the strategies for winning an election--

"Organize the whole state, so that every Whig can be brought to the polls...
...Divide (the) country into small districts, and... appoint in each a subcommittee.
...Make a perfect list of all the voters and... ascertain with certainty for whom they will vote.
...Keep a constant watch on doubtful voters, and... have them talked to by
those in whom they have the most confidence.
...And on Election Day, see that every Whig is brought to the polls."

So to must the counterinsurgent follow these steps.  An entire nation or province is too large, but a Company sized area of operations can be organized and a perfect list, complete with photos and possibly biometric data, developed and their family and political loyalties ascertained with a degree of certainty.

A constant eye can be kept on those who are suspicious.  Have them talked to by those whom they trust and the counterinsurgents trust.

If evidence is obtained that they are insurgents, do not arrest them right away as they may unwittingly lead you to more.

Bill Ardolino files a report from Sadr City.

Read the whole thing. 

In the magazine's list of the 100 "Most Influential People" in the world we find Moqtada al Sadr and Vladimir Putin in the category of leaders and revolutionaries.

Terrorist mastermind Baitullah Mehsud also makes the list of leaders and revolutionaries.

(In defense of TIME, Secretary of Defense Gates makes the list--and rightfully so.)

But it struck me that once again, the author and implementer of what could be the greatest strategic turn-around of the war in Iraq ignored.

Once again, TIME has ignored General Petraeus.

Drink the tea, eat the lamb, carry a bottle of Immodium.  Drink another cup of tea.  Ask about his family.  Talk about his family, especially his sons and brothers. 

"Enta mizzawege?" he will ask.  He wants to know if you are married and have kids. 

In Iraq, the khams system is alive.  That means the basic clan structure is based on common ancestry for up to five generations. 

Understand the geneology of your area of operations and you have a map of the relationships in your area of operations.

(COIN - counterinsurgency)

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Al Qaida is in Iraq.  Al Qaida wants the U.S. military out of Iraq. 

The Democrats want the U.S. military out of Iraq. 

THE MISSION was a gambit, a dangerous trap and it was fitting that it kicked off on April Fools Day. 

In the Spring of 2005, the 6-lane highway running from Fallujah to Abu Ghraib was a nesting ground for IEDs--the roadside bombs that have killed and maimed so many Soldiers and Marines. 

It was the mission of Vengeance Platoon, a mixture of active duty Marines from Camp Lejeune and reserve Marines from Kansas City, to eliminate the IED threat on the highway. 

At that time, there were very few from-the-factory up-armored humvees.  The armor on the one I was riding in consisted of a kevlar pad duct taped to a 1/3 mild steel 'saloon door.'  A door that, like the swinging doors of the old west saloons, only covered only 3/5 of the opening. 

That armor would do nothing to slow down the shrapnel from an IED made from a 155mm artillery shell.

The men who weild hot lead at the enemy love hot women.  That should not be a surprise to anyone, but to some it is . 

Some see pin-ups in the barracks as a vice, but it is part of a larger virtues of--Love & Fortitude. 

It is currently against the regulations of Multi National Forces Iraq to possess any pornographic, lewd or lacivious material. 

According to a recent study by Rand Corporation , "18.5 percent of current and former service members contacted in a recent survey reported symptoms of depression or post-traumatic stress."

The number seems about right to me and after three trips to Iraq, I've had a few quirky PTSD experiences.

The first was in 2005 driving from a logistics area in Kuwait to the International Airport when I looked over at the driver and asked if he could drive in the middle of lane of the freeway.  I had found myself eye-balling the sandy shoulder for anything that looked like a roadside bomb.

The most recent was when I got home from a month in Baghdad and I was acutely aware of man hole covers.

Michael Yon's 'Moment of Truth in Iraq ' is the right book at the right time.

Weaving first-hand accounts of firefights, a macro view of Counter Insurgencey Strategy (COIN), the micro-tactics implemented at the small unit and individual level and a deep understanding the role the media plays in COIN, Yon's book is one of the few that shows Iraq as it is now.