“You can’t say
civilizations don’t advance…for in every war they kill you in a new way.”
Will Rogers
IAFS
3000
Regional War &
Peace:
The Wars in Iraq &
afghanistan
Summer Term A 2011
Lecture Times: Monday through Friday, 11:00am-12:35pm in CLRE 211
Syllabus at: http://socsci.colorado.edu/~gyoung/home/3000/3000_syl.htm
Instructor: Dr. Gregory D.
Young
Office: CU – Ketchum Hall 4A
Office Phone: CU - (303)
492-4265
E-mail: gyoung@colorado.edu
Office Hours:
Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday from 1:00-2:00pm (after class) or by appointment
Course
Links
Link to Current Event Schedule
Link to Reading Summaries and Schedule
Link to Midterm Exam Terms List
Link to Final Exam Study Guide
Course
Objectives
This
course is the one of many for the inter-disciplinary CU major which encompasses
political science, anthropology, geography, economics, and history. In this
course we will undertake a comparative study of recent U.S. conflicts overseas.
The Economist in a
cover story last summer referred to the conflict in Afghanistan as “Obama’s
Vietnam. At the height of the Sunni insurgency in 2005 a similar statement was
applied to George W. Bush’s foray into Iraq. Are these comparisons valid? Using
theories of interstate war and a comparative approach this course will exam the
American engagement in Vietnam with the invasion of Iraq and the decision to go
into Afghanistan. In addition, this course will examine the conduct of these
three conflagrations using theories of insurgency and counterinsurgency.
Ultimately, students will assess the chance of and criteria for NATO success in
Afghanistan.
Course
Requirements
Surgeon
General’s Warning
This is a three-credit
course with a substantial workload, especially in the summer term. In
addition to the midterm and final exams, this course requires a substantial
amount of writing. Please familiarize yourself with the course requirements. If
you are not sure now that you will be able to commit the necessary time and
effort to complete the required work, you should consider dropping the course.
Attendance, Readings and Class Participation
It is essential that students attend every class on
time. Regular attendance and active participation in any class discussion will
enhance your understanding of the course material and almost certainly improve
your performance on the mid-term and final exams, which are together worth 50%
of the course grade. Attendance is also a large portion of your 10%
participation grade. Students with more than five unexcused absences will be
awarded a failing grade. Notifying your instructor by email prior to class will
constitute an excused absence. Send email absence notifications to gyoung@colorado.edu. In this summer
semester, the required readings range from 150 to 250 pages per week, as set
out in the course schedule. Your knowledge and understanding of the required
readings will be tested in the mid-term and final exams. Students should come
to class having already completed (and thought carefully about) the assigned
reading for each class period.
Mid-Term and Final Exams
The mid-term exam will be held on Friday, June 17th in
the usual class meeting time and place. The final exam will be on Friday, July 1st during the
final class period in the regular lecture room. The final exam will be
comprehensive, but will focus primarily on the materiel after the midterm.
Students must write the final exam in order to pass the course. Blue books
should be purchased by each student and brought in the class period prior to
the midterm and final; 8.5x11 Blue books are preferred. Do not put your name on
your Blue book, since they will be redistributed. Make-up exams will not be
given unless the instructor has been notified in advance or a doctor’s note is
provided. There will be a geographic component on both the midterm and final
exams related to topics we have discussed in class, particularly the current
events.
Current Events
One or two students will present a current event orally in
class each class period. The presentation should be no more than five minutes
in length. The source should be from a respected news source, be less than one
week old and pertain in some way to topical conflict issues, preferably the
topic for that class period. Each student should try to relate the article to
some element of what we have been discussing in class. News reports on the
Internet are also acceptable sources. The current event presentation will be
part of your 10% participation grade.
Thought Papers
Each week, a thought question will be posed to the
class and posted on the course web site. The question will relate to the topics
in the previous four days of class. In a two-page, single-spaced (Approximately
900-1000 words) response to the question to turn in two class periods later.
Include a word count on the first page. These papers should be properly
documented and footnoted using the course readings. Papers will be graded 50%
on content and 50% on grammar, punctuation and spelling. There will be Five questions posted. Each student must answer at least FOUR of them. Students
completing fewer than four will have zeros averaged in with their grades on the
completed papers. Those students completing all five will only have four best
grades included. These thought papers account for 25% of your final course
grade. Late Papers will not be accepted unless prior arrangements have been
made. Papers will be graded on a 100 point scale. On a random basis, electronic
copies of thought papers will be sent to turn it in.com as a deterrent for
plagiarism.
Book Analysis Presentation
Each student in the course will be required to
complete an analysis/research presentation that examines in-depth one of
the canon of the literature regarding war and peace from Iraq or Afghanistan.
The books are delineated in the link above. All are available online or in the
Library. If you have trouble finding the book you have chosen, consult with
your instructor. Some of these books are of considerable length; therefore you
should begin the book immediately. Please do not pick a book that you have read
previously, since it is necessary that you look at the book you study from a
new perspective. If you wish to analyze a book not on the list, you may ask
your instructor. The list however is a compilation of six different lists of
the most widely respected books in this area. Requests therefore, are likely to
be denied. On Thursday, the third week of class, student will begin to present
their research to the class.
Presentation Requirements:
2
page outline of 10-15 minute in-class presentation (single-spaced)
Approximately,
a 5 minute summary of the key elements of the book
Approximately,
a 10 minute analysis answering these key questions:
·
How does this work relate to studies of the theories of war
and its causes?
·
How does this book influence or what does it have to say
regarding the conduct of war (i.e. strategy or tactics)?
·
Does this book alter or add to the conventional historical
wisdom regarding the conflict(s) that it depicts?
·
Does the book provide a different perspective than the
traditional American one regarding it analysis of war?
(Each
of these questions may not apply specifically to your book).
The
written outline is due on the day of your presentation. This
presentation is worth 10% of your final grade.
Reading
Summary
grading Criteria
Mid-term exam 25%
Thought Papers 25%
Reading Summary 10%
Final exam 25%
Class presentation 10%
Homework, attendance &
participation 5%
Total 100%
Final Course Grades will be curved unless a straight
90/80/70/60 etc… proves more beneficial to the students (higher overall grade
average). If curved, the mean overall average will become the highest C+ grade,
and two standard deviations below the mean will be necessary to fail the
course. One standard deviation about the mean becomes the criteria for an A
grade. The grading policy will be explained in detail on the first day of
class.
Required Readings
The following text books are available online at: http://americaandtheworld.com. Other
readings will be linked to this syllabus.
1.
(RICKS)
Ricks, Thomas E. (2006) Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq
2003-2005. Penguin Press.
ISBN-13: 978-0143038917
2.
(NAGL) Nagl, John A. (2002/2005), Learning to Eat
Soup With a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from
Malaya and Vietnam. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
ISBN-13: 978-0226567709
SCHEDULE
OF LECTURES, READINGS,
|
Day/Date |
Topic |
Assigned Reading Due |
|
Tuesday, May 31 |
Course
Introduction and Administration |
None |
|
Wednesday, June 1 |
Theories of
Interstate War |
An Introduction to the Causes of War - Cashman &
Robinson: Introduction Geoffrey Blainey, The Causes
of War, Ch. 1, “The Peace that Passeth
Understanding |
|
Thursday, June 2 |
Theories of Interstate War (Part II ) |
|
|
Friday, June 3 |
Strategic Culture The Hard Lessons of Insurgency Thought Question 1 Assigned |
· Strategic Culture Handout
– G.D. Young · NAGL – Chaps 1-3 |
|
Monday, June 6 |
The
British in Malaya |
· NAGL – Chaps 4-5 |
|
Tuesday, June 7 |
The Vietnam
Conflict Thought
Paper 1 Due |
· NAGL – Chaps 6-9 · Tiger Papa Three – Ed Palm |
|
Wednesday, June 8 |
The Vietnam
Conflict (Part II) Movie: The Fog of War(Excerpts) Thought Question 2 Assigned r |
|
|
Thursday, June 9 |
The Road to Iraq |
· Cashman & Robinson Ch.7 The Iraq War (Part I,
II & III) · RICKS, Fiasco – Chaps 1-6 |
|
Friday, June 10 |
The Iraq War Thought
Paper 2 Due |
· RICKS Fiasco, Chaps 7-12 |
|
Monday, June 13 |
The Iraq War |
· RICKS, Fiasco, Chaps 13-19 |
|
Tuesday, June 14 |
The Iraq War Movie: “Why We Fight” Thought Question 3 Assigned |
|
|
Wednesday, June 15 |
The Iraq War |
· Tom Ricks – The Gamble Chaps 1-2 · Filkins, “Back in Iraq, Jarred by the Calm”, New York Times, Sun 21 Sep 08 · Nate Braden, “Coin of the Realm” · Kaplan, “What Rumsfeld got right”, The Atlantic, Jul/Aug 08 |
|
Thursday, June 16 |
Thought
Paper 3 Due |
Finkel, The
Good Soldiers, Chapter 7 Davis, Buda’s Wagon, Chaps 1,2 20 |
|
Friday, June 17 |
Midterm Examination |
|
|
Monday, June 20 |
Counter insurgency
Theory: The new global fad? |
· David Kilcullen –
28 Articles: Fundamentals of
Company-Level Counterinsurgency · Global Issues 2010, Chapter x, “ The Rise
in Counterinsurgency |
|
Tuesday, June 21 |
The Afghan War Movie “Restrepo” Thought Question 4 Assigned |
|
|
Wednesday, June 22 |
The Afghan War Go over Midterm |
· Baylis, Wirtz &
Gray, “Afghanistan” in Strategy in the
Contemporary World, 3rd Ed. 2010 · Michael O’Hanlon, “Staying Power”, Foreign Affairs, Sep/Oct 2010 |
|
Thursday, June 23 |
The Afghan War Thought
Paper 4 Due |
· Global Issues 2010, “Afghanistan on the
Brink |
|
Friday, June 24 |
The Afghan War Student Presentations |
· The
Economist, “The Next
Surge”, 20 Dec 09 · Filkins, “Right at the Edge”, Sunday Magazine New York Times, 7 Sep 08 · Gordon, “Strategy Shift for Afghan War
poses stiff Challenge for Obama”, New
York Times, Tues 2 Dec 08 · Stewart, “The ‘Good War’ isn't worth
Fighting”, New York Times, Sun 23
Nov 08 · Rumsfeld, “One Surge does not fit all”, New York Times, Sun 23 Nov 08 · Bacevich, “Petraeus
Doctrine”, The Atlantic, Oct 08 · Johnson
& Mason, “All counterinsurgency is local”, The Atlantic, Oct 08 |
|
Monday, June 27 |
The Afghan War Student Presentations |
·
NYT,"Taliban
Overhaul Image to Win Allies" ·
NYT, "Coalition Troops Storm a Taliban Haven" ·
NYT, "Afghan Attack Gives Marines a Taste of
War" ·
NYT, "New Model for Afghan War: 'Population is the
Prize'" ·
NYT, February 25, 2011,U.S. Pulling Back in Afghan
Valley It Called Vital to War , |
|
Tuesday, June 28 |
The Afghan War Frontline Documentary on
Afghan Counterinsurgency: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/ frontline/obamaswar/view/ Student Presentations Thought
Question 5 Assigned |
·
NYT, "U.S. Turns a Blind Eye to Opium in Afghan
Town" ·
NYT, "In Ambush, a Glimpse of a Long Afghan
Summer" ·
NYT, "Marines Do Heavy Lifting as Afghan Army Lags
in Battle" |
|
Wednesday, June 29 |
The Afghan War: Predictions
for Success Student Presentations |
·
NYT, "Afghan Army at Crossroads" ·
NYT, "Troops Tread Lightly in Afghan Village"
·
NYT, "Contrary to Hopes, Afghan Vote
Disappoints" ·
NYT, "NATO's Kandahar Push Deals a Setback to the
Taliban" ·
NYT, "Amid Terror Reign by Armed Groups, Taliban
Extend Their Reach to North" ·
NYT, "Inroads by the Taliban Challenges U.S. Troops
in Eastern Afghanistan" ·
NYT, "In Afghanistan, Insurgents Let Bombs Do the
Fighting" ·
NYT, "In Eastern Afghanistan, at War with the
Taliban's Shadowy Rule" |
|
Thursday, June 30 |
The Arab Spring – Impact on
the Region Student Presentations Thought Paper 5
Due |
·
NYT, "Petraeus Says
Coalition Has Stymied Taliban in Much of Afghanistan" ·
NYT, "Putting Afghan Plan into Action Proves
Difficult" ·
NYT, "Taliban Show Strain as Afghan Fighting
Nears" ·
NYT, "Bin Laden's Death and the New Unknown in
Afghanistan" ·
NYT, "A Slice of Afghanistan Well Secured by
Afghans" ·
NYT, "Steeper Pullout Raised as Option for
Afghanistan" ·
NYT, "U.S. Ambassadorial Nominee Warns of Risk of
Abandoning Afghanistan" ·
NYT, "Afghan Taliban Ceded Ground in South, but
Fear Lingers" |
|
Friday, July 1 |
Final Examination |
Review |
ADMINISTRATIVE
INFORMATION:
CELLULAR TELEPHONE/LAPTOP COMPUTER POLICY
Needless to say, all cellular phones must
be turned off and put away at the beginning of each class meeting. Classes
failing to comply will be issued a stern warning on the first occasion. The
entire class will have a pop quiz over the previous reading
assignments/lectures on the second and subsequent occurrences. Phones, PDAs,
MP3 players and Blackberrys will not be out on desks
or used during any quiz or examination. Laptop computers will be allowed in
class, I still believe that they can assist learning in the classroom. However,
if abuse of the privilege appears to be a distraction in class, then they will
be banned.
Students With Disabilities
If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability Services in a timely manner so that your needs be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities. Contact: 303-492-8671, Willard 322, and www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices Disability Services' letters for students with disabilities indicate legally mandated reasonable accommodations. The syllabus statements and answers to Frequently Asked Questions can be found at www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices
Cheating
Cheating (using unauthorized materials or giving unauthorized assistance during an examination or other academic exercise) and plagiarism (using another's ideas or words without acknowledgment) are serious offenses in a university, and may result in a failing grade for a particular assignment, a failing grade for the course, and/or suspension for various lengths of time or permanent expulsion from the university. All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (honor@colorado.edu; 303-725-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Other information on the Honor Code can be found at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html and at http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/
The development of the
Internet has provided students with historically unparalleled opportunities for
conducting research swiftly and comprehensively. The availability of these
materials does not, however, release the student from appropriately citing
sources where appropriate; or applying standard rules associated with avoiding
plagiarism. Specifically, the instructor will be expecting to review papers
written by students drawing ideas and information from various sources (cited
appropriately), presented generally in the student’s words after careful
analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. An assembly of huge blocks of other
individuals' existing material, even when cited, does not constitute an
appropriate representation of this expectation. Uncited,
plagiarized material shall be treated as academically dishonest, and the paper
will be assigned an ‘F’ as a result.
Papers submitted by any student, written in part or in whole by someone
other than that student, shall be considered to constitute fraud under the
University Honor Code, and result in the assignment of an 'F' for the entire
course. If the student is confused as to what constitutes plagiarism, he/she
should review the CU Honor Code on this topic. If you have any questions
regarding proper documentation in your writing, please discuss it with your
instructor.
RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES
The university has received valid complaints from students regarding the lack of adequate faculty accommodation for some students who have serious religious obligations, which may conflict with academic requirements such as scheduled exams. Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to deal reasonably and fairly with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. In this class, any notification of absence by email constitutes and excused absence. See full details at: http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html
A comprehensive calendar of the religious holidays most commonly observed by CU-Boulder students is at http://www.interfaithcalendar.org/
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
The University of Colorado Policy
on Sexual Harassment applies to all students, staff and faculty. Sexual
harassment is unwelcome sexual attention. It can involve intimidation, threats,
coercion, or promises or create an environment that is hostile or offensive.
Harassment may occur between members of the same or opposite gender and between
any combination of members in the campus community:
students, faculty, staff, and administrators. Harassment can occur anywhere on
campus, including the classroom, the workplace, or a residence hall. Any
student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been sexually harassed
should contact the Office of Sexual Harassment (OSH) at 303-492-2127 or the
Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. Information about the OSH and the
campus resources available to assist individuals who believe they have been
sexually harassed can be obtained at http://www.colorado.edu/odh/
BASIC COURTESY TO YOUR CLASSMATE AND YOUR
INSTRUCTORS
Please arrive on time and do not leave early. If
you absolutely must leave early, please let me know at the beginning of class
and sit near a door so you do not cause too much disruption. Similarly, if
arriving late, please take a seat as quickly and quietly as possible. Take care of all your business before
class begins; do not leave and return during class as this creates a
disturbance to others.
Taking
this course signifies acceptance of the terms and conditions stated in this
syllabus.