The Defense of Jisr al-Doreaa: With E. D. Swinton's "The Defence of Duffer's Drift"

Following the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the U.S. military found itself in a battle with a lethal and adaptive insurgency, where the divisions between enemy and ally were ambiguous at best, and working with the local population was essential for day-to-day survival. From the lessons they learned during multiple tours of duty in Iraq, two American veterans have penned "The Defense of Jisr al-Doreaa", an instructional parable of counterinsurgency that addresses the difficulties of war in the postmodern era. In this tactical primer based on the military classic "The Defence of Duffer's Drift", a young officer deployed for the first time in Iraq receives ground-level lessons about urban combat, communications technology, and high-powered weaponry in an environment where policy meets reality. Over the course of six dreams, the inexperienced soldier fights the same battle again and again, learning each time - the hard way - which false assumptions and misconceptions he needs to discard in order to help his men avoid being killed or captured. As the protagonist grapples with the consequences of his mistakes, he develops a keen understanding of counterinsurgency fundamentals and the potential pitfalls of working with the native population. Accompanied here by the original novella that inspired it, "The Defense of Jisr al-Doreaa" offers an invaluable resource for cadets and junior military leaders - as well as general readers seeking a deeper understanding of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Just as Swinton's classic has been a hallmark of military instruction, "The Defense of Jisr al-Doreaa" will help draw the road map for counterinsurgency in the postmodern world.