DA4830 Irregular War in the Middle East and South Asia

This course examines irregular warfare in the Middle East and South Asia. It is focused upon the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. Those conflicts contained new tactics, procedures, and strategies for both adversaries and US forces. The lessons of the wars are contested. The course will delve into detailed assessment of them so that students walk away with a rigorous understanding of what applies to future operations. Furthermore, the course will provide an in-depth understanding of social, political, and religious factors that shape operations in the Middle East and South Asia. 

Lecture Hours

4

Lab Hours

0

Course Learning Outcomes

From the class, students will be able to:

• Describe strategies and tactics the United States applied.
• Discuss the strategic errors the United States and other foreign powers have made in their interventions and why they happened.
• Discuss the role of Islam, identity, and tribalism in war-making and governing.
• Describe the effects of foreign intervention and the conduct of war—in terms of thought, military presence, economic assistance, and political oversight—on the regions.