Has the West lots its way in fighting a media war?

4th May 2007
By David Lonsdale

Western democracies often struggle with counter-insurgency. This is partly due to its complex nature, but is mainly symptomatic of a general lack of understanding of how strategy functions. Counter-insurgency is war, an act of strategy: a battle of wills conducted through the use of force. The aim is to impose our will on the enemy and/or local inhabitants. Whether or not we can impose our will in places like Iraq, will depend on events in two crucial areas: the theatre of operations, and …