Book Review: Achieving Victory in Iraq

Military Review

ACHIEVING VICTORY IN IRAQ: Countering an Insurgency, Dominic J. Caraccilo and Andrea L. Thompson, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 2008, 240 pages, $24.95.

Two Army combat veterans of the Iraq War, Colonel Dominic J. Caraccilo and Lieutenant Colonel Andrea L. Thompson, wrote Achieving Victory in Iraq: Countering an Insurgency. Armed with real-life experiences as staff officers assigned to the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq, Caraccilo and Thompson provide a doctrinally sound and thorough analysis of the current situation in Iraq. Detailing the complexity of counterinsurgency operations, they lay the groundwork for victory for Iraqi forces. Their work is well researched, compelling, and timely.

The authors consider inadequate civil policing to be the "greatest error in judgment" of the war: "The lack of a capable manned, trained, and equipped police force is clearly a major issue in Iraq, and it is perhaps the single most important problem that must be solved today." They make a strong case for Iraqi forces standing their ground against an insurgency. Advocating the use of Field Manual (FM) 3-24, Counterinsurgency Caraccilo and Thompson meticulously detail doctrine, providing a thorough analysis of its early origins: "We concur with so many others in believing that if there is a Clausewitz of counterinsurgency, Galula is it." They recommend "bottom line" solutions in keeping with the concepts of FM 3-24 and the current Multi-National Forces Iraq Commanders Guidance. The authors applaud U.S. post-surge efforts and confirm the current U.S. strategy for success is to train Iraqi forces to fight and win on their own. Current, fresh, and thought provoking, this book is a must read for military professionals concerned with theory and practice of contemporary counterinsurgency operations. The book is a worthwhile contribution to the ever-expanding literature on irregular warfare.

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