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SUMMARY:&quot\;Losing the New Great Game&quot\; - Dr Frank Ledwidge\, Barr
 ister\, Writer and Lecturer
DTSTART:20160212T173000Z
DTEND:20160212T183000Z
UID:TALK58859@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Janet Gibson
DESCRIPTION:Abstract\n\n\nThe failed British military campaigns in Basra a
 nd Helmand followed similar courses. They began confidently\, followed by 
 defeat in the field and US military bail-out. The enemies of UK forces now
  dominate both theatres. British generals prided themselves on their prowe
 ss in exactly the kind of conflicts they thought they had entered- 'counte
 rinsurgency'.  How then did they go so wrong?   Before an army becomes inv
 olved in conflict\, it should fully understand the kind of war it is going
  to be\, what it wants to achieve by it and how the war will achieve those
  ends. British generals failed to ensure clarity on any of these questions
  and had no workable strategy. Further\, they lacked a corporate culture a
 nd flexibility to understand and adapt to the environments in which they f
 ound themselves and defaulted to methods for which they were trained.  The
  lack of a sound intelligence system and consequent situational naivete al
 lowed their enemies to gain and retain the initiative.   However\, whilst 
 there is a long way to go\, there are signs that UK military leadership is
  developing the necessary skills and awareness to conduct successful opera
 tions. \n\nBiography\n\nFollowing eight years as a Barrister in Liverpool\
 , Dr Frank Ledwidge served as a  reserve military intelligence officer on 
 front-line operations in Bosnia\, Kosovo and Iraq.He has also worked as a 
 civilian security and justice advisor in UK Missions during the conflicts 
 in Afghanistan and Libya.   A law graduate of Oxford University\, Frank ho
 lds a doctorate from Kings College London awarded for a study of the role 
 of courts in insurgency.  He is the author of two well-reviewed and bestse
 lling studies of Britain's recent military adventures 'Losing Small Wars' 
 (Yale 2011) and 'Investment in Blood' (Yale 2013). He currently lectures i
 n strategy and international law for Portsmouth University at the Royal Ai
 r Force College\, Cranwell.
LOCATION:LMH\, Lady Mitchell Hall
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