Print
Email
Share
CitePreserving Progress: Transitioning Authority and Implementing the Strategic Framework in Iraq
Max Boot testifies before the House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia on the future of the U.S. relationship with Iraq.
Interviewee: John Robb
Interviewer: Andrew Hansen
June 1, 2007
U.S. forces and the fledgling Iraqi government struggle against the insurgency in Baghdad. Drug gangs in Mexico wrest power from the government. Militias attack oil interests in Nigeria. Armed Software executive and former Air Force counterterrorist operative John Robb tracks them all on his popular blog. In his book, Brave New War, Robb uses the theory of open-source software development to describe modern insurgencies. Collaboration on software produces innovation. “In Iraq, we see similar levels of innovation,” he says. “And this has radically changed how we fight war.” He concludes that the Defense Department is ill-equipped to face the challenges of this new type of warfare. “The U.S. Defense Department is a huge bureaucracy. Most of its focus is on these large weapons systems that are pretty much useless in modern conflict.”
Terms of Use: I understand that I may access this audio and/or video file solely for my personal use. Any other use of the file and its content, including display, distribution, reproduction, or alteration in any form for any purpose, whether commercial, noncommercial, educational, or promotional, is expressly prohibited without the written permission of the copyright owner, the Council on Foreign Relations. For more information, write publications@cfr.org.
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedInWhat effect would the fall of the Assad regime have on U.S. policy towards Syria?
Reforming U.S. Drone Strike Policies
The author analyzes the potentially serious consequences, both at home and abroad, of a lightly overseen drone program and makes recommendations for improving its governance.
Max Boot testifies before the House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia on the future of the U.S. relationship with Iraq.
As the United States must not abandon the thousands of Iraqis currently risking their lives to work alongside our soldiers, diplomats, and...
Listen to CFR President Richard N. Haass discuss his new book, War of Necessity, War of Choice: A Memoir of Two Iraq Wars.