Small Wars Journal is a professional journal for free distribution, subject to our terms of use. Articles after September 2007's volume 9 are provided below in an interim format as individual articles. Future volumes will be assembled and published here, and the articles below will be re-formatted, when we burn through our technical glitches and workload. Get back issues, volumes 1 through 9. Small Wars Journal was formerly known as SWJ Magaine.

October 10, 2008

Meeting Lt. Col. David Galula - April 1962

Meeting Lt. Col. David Galula - April 1962
by Rufus Phillips

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October 9, 2008

Understanding the al-Qaeda Enemy in Three Volumes

Understanding the al-Qaeda Enemy in Three Volumes
by Dr. Donald J. Hanle

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October 8, 2008

A View of Irregular Warfare

A View of Irregular Warfare
A Work in Progress (Draft)
by Colonel Daniel Kelly

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Africom Stands Up

Africom Stands Up
by Colonel Robert Killebrew

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October 7, 2008

Transitions While Conducting Counterinsurgency Operations

Transitions While Conducting Counterinsurgency Operations
by Lieutenant Colonel Steven Alexander

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October 5, 2008

Provincial Reconstruction in Afghanistan

Provincial Reconstruction in Afghanistan
An Examination of the Problems of Integrating the Military, Political and Development Dimensions with Reference to the US Experience in Vietnam
by Colonel Ian Westerman

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October 3, 2008

The Limits of American Power and Civil-Military Relations

The Limits of American Power and Civil-Military Relations
A Framework for Discussion
by Thomas Donnelly

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October 2, 2008

Surging Statecraft to Save Afghanistan

Surging Statecraft to Save Afghanistan
by Vikram J. Singh and Nathaniel C. Fick

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October 1, 2008

Crusader Mentality

Crusader Mentality
A Response to Andrew Bacevich
by Matthew E. Valkovic and Brian M. Burton

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September 25, 2008

Counterinsurgency and a Comprehensive Approach

Counterinsurgency and a Comprehensive Approach
Helmand Province, Afghanistan
by Peter Dahl Thruelsen

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September 17, 2008

Sisyphus and Counterinsurgency

Sisyphus and Counterinsurgency
by Major Niel Smith

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September 13, 2008

British Operations in Helmand Afghanistan

British Operations in Helmand Afghanistan
by Dr. Daniel Marston

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September 8, 2008

Sons of Iraq

Sons of Iraq
A Study in Irregular Warfare
by William S. McCallister

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September 5, 2008

Musa Qala

Musa Qala
Adapting to the Realities of Modern Counterinsurgency
by Thomas Donnelly and Gary J. Schmitt

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The Manoeuvre Warfare Fraud

The Manoeuvre Warfare Fraud
by William F. Owen

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September 4, 2008

Prioritizing the Reconstruction of Critical Infrastructure

Prioritizing the Reconstruction of Critical Infrastructure within a Stability Operation Environment
A New Methodology
by Major Travis (TJ) Lindberg and Dr. David A. Anderson

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September 1, 2008

Oman 1965-1976

Oman 1965-1976
From Certain Defeat to Decisive Victory
by Jim White

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August 31, 2008

SWJ Interview: General Vincent Desportes

General Vincent Desportes
Small Wars Journal Interview
by Judah Grunstein

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General Vincent Desportes

General Vincent Desportes
The Likely War
by Judah Grunstein

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August 30, 2008

Corruption in Iraq

Corruption in Iraq
Exploiting Market Behavior as a Form of Irregular Warfare
by William S. McCallister

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August 25, 2008

Violent Non-State Actors in the Middle Eastern Region

Violent Non-State Actors in the Middle Eastern Region
by J. Bernhard Compton

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August 22, 2008

The Frontiers of Global Security Intelligence

The Frontiers of Global Security Intelligence
Analytical Tradecraft and Education as Drivers for Intelligence Reform
by John P. Sullivan

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August 19, 2008

Military History and the Drafting of Doctrine

Military History and the Drafting of Doctrine
FM 3-24, Relevant Case Studies or Seductive Analogies?
by Andrew Salamone

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State of Siege: Mexico’s Criminal Insurgency

State of Siege
Mexico’s Criminal Insurgency
by John P. Sullivan and Adam Elkus

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August 16, 2008

Fourteen Rules for Advisors in Iraq

Fourteen Rules for Advisors in Iraq
by Norman Ricklefs

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August 14, 2008

Public Diplomacy and National Security

Public Diplomacy and National Security
Lessons from the U.S. Experience
by Bruce Gregory

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August 4, 2008

Thinking Small: Applying Hobbes to Counterinsurgency

Thinking Small: Applying Hobbes to Counterinsurgency
by LTC Raymond Millen

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August 3, 2008

An Intellectual Genealogy of the Just War

An Intellectual Genealogy of the Just War
A Survey of Christian Political Thought on the Justification of Warfare
by Keith Gomes

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August 2, 2008

Taking Interagency Stability Operations to a New Level

Taking Interagency Stability Operations to a New Level
The Integration of Special Operation Forces and USAID in Afghanistan
by Sloan Mann

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July 31, 2008

Contested Nation Building

Contested Nation Building
The Challenge of Countering Insurgency in Afghanistan in 2007
by Colonel John Frewen

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July 28, 2008

Rethinking Smith-Mundt

Rethinking Smith-Mundt
by Matt Armstrong

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July 25, 2008

Posturing for the Durand Line - ‘We Can and Must do Better’?

Posturing for the Durand Line - ‘We Can and Must do Better’?
by Paul Smyth

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July 19, 2008

Counterinsurgency Principles for the Diplomat

Counterinsurgency Principles for the Diplomat
by Kurt Amend

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July 12, 2008

Shortchanging the Joint Doctrine Fight

Shortchanging the Joint Doctrine Fight
One Airman’s Assessment of the Airman’s Assessment
by LtCol Buck Elton

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July 8, 2008

Visualizing Transition from the “Bottom Up”

Visualizing Transition from the “Bottom Up”
Observations from Joint Urban Warrior 2008
by Dennis Burket

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July 4, 2008

Rethinking “IO:” Complex Operations in the Information Age

Rethinking “IO:” Complex Operations in the Information Age
by BG Huba Wass de Czege, US Army, Retired

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June 28, 2008

Improving Information Operations in Iraq and the Global War on Terror

Improving Information Operations in Iraq and the Global War on Terror
by Farook Ahmed and Oubai Shahbandar

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June 25, 2008

The Cost of a Redundant State Media Strategy

Terrorists and Terrorism
The Cost of a Redundant State Media Strategy
by Adam Hammond

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June 22, 2008

Foreign Fighters: How Are They Being Recruited?

Foreign Fighters: How Are They Being Recruited?
Two Imperfect Recruitment Models
by Clinton Watts

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