Earlier this month, I dashed off two posts (here and here) about the risk of counterinsurgency tactics used in Iraq making their way into domestic law enforcement. As I wrote at the time:
Without goingoverboard or adopting a paranoid posture, I fear the integration ofcivilian policing with counterinsurgency campaigns will have a levelingeffect on both. That’s better for counterinsurgency campaigns than itis for civilian policing.
Here’s Andrew Exum over at Abu Muqawama today:
I just read in the newspaper that a fourth Oakland police officerhas died after being taken off of life support. A reader fromCalifornia wrote in a few days back to ask whether or not anyprinciples of COIN might be applied to mend the rift between thepopulation and the “security forces” in the East Bay. Thoughts from thereadership?
I still leave open the possibility that I’m going overboard and adopting a paranoid posture. Thoughts from the readership?