Why Did Rebuilding the Afghan and Iraqi Armies Fail?

Abstract

Investigations into why Western forces – primarily the US and British Armies – failed to build effective and accountable Afghan and Iraqi armies have not focused enough on the links between state and army, Colin D Robinson argues. Building strong states in such circumstances is near-impossible and has dire consequences for armies. In addition, the regular combat culture of Western armies serves them extraordinarily badly when they are called to make things, not break things, in totally dissimilar societies. ◼