It was only a matter of time before the American military doctrine of counter-insurgency would be applied to the conflict between Hamas and Israel.
Based on retired Army Gen. David Petraeus’ doctoral dissertation at Princeton, “The American Military and the Lessons of Vietnam,” the doctrine became more than a theoretical work when Petraeus extended and applied it to the war in Iraq.
Petraeus argued that counter-insurgency is not won by military victories alone but by winning the hearts and minds of the people. Vietnam, for him, failed to win hearts and minds.
Iraq required not just military victories but winning support for the allied host government through economic development, citizen political participation, and the restoration of hope.
via What David Petraeus Can’t Teach Us About Gaza: It’s Not About Hearts and Minds | TheBlaze.com.