Late comments on “Triage” and the CNAS Conference

The Center for a New American Security held its annual conference last Thursday at the Willard Hotel. The event featured GEN Petraeus as the morning keynote speaker, followed by a series of panels related to the rollout of several new policy papers. The one I’m most interested in, pretty obviously, is Triage: The Next Twelve Months in Afghanistan and Pakistan, by Andrew Exum, Nate Fick, Ahmed Humayun, and Dave Kilcullen. Fick and Ex participated in a panel discussion — moderated by the former commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, LTG (ret) David Barno — alongside noted counterinsurgency skeptic Andrew Bacevich and COL Chris Cavoli, who commanded a battalion of the 10th Mountain in RC-East in 2006-07.

Kilcullen event at CNAS

Tonight I went to the Willard Hotel for Dave Kilcullen’s CNAS book release event. David Ignatius moderated a discussion about The Accidental Guerilla, Kilcullen’s outstanding new book. I had the good fortune to meet the man afterwards and found him very gracious and accommodating, which was no less that I’d expect from someone John Nagl called “the foreigner who has contributed the most to U.S. national security since Tadeusz Kosciuszko” (or something to that effect).

Enjoyed some drinks and great conversation with a range of scholars and practitioners of counterinsurgency in the hours immediately following, so thanks to Max, Alix, Stephanie, Jason, COL Tony, COL(P) Mike, Josh, Eric, Ex and all the rest that I spoke with even briefly (and who might’ve found their way over here). I’ll tell you one thing: I know a hell of a lot more about PRTs in Afghanistan than I did two bottles of wine ago!