WPJP Event: Leadership, War, and Self-Deception

American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan sought to defeat elusive insurgents seeking political power. Soldiers believed that so long as they could protect the population, citizens would provide tips about the enemy’s identity and location. Victory would follow in due course. This story, echoed by American politicians and generals, was for many fighters simply untrue. Persons—motivated by survival, vengeance, riches, and power —would variously support the government or the insurgency. The result was not a static, two-sided war between friends and foes, but a kaleidoscopic war of ever-shifting alliances among citizens, armed actors, and political leaders. How was victory possible in such conditions?