p.29 Bullets and bombs produce an immediate effect. Nonlethal effects
may not satisfy this need for immediacy, but they can have a strategic, far-reaching, and lasting effect.
p.29 A persistent, nuanced, and informed IO [information operations] campaign
should be at the center of the COIN [counterinsurgency] strategy in Afghanistan
p.30 Leaders must accept a long-term time frame with marginal improvements,
not quick victories. Wins will be incremental in nature... Be sophisticated in what is measured. Sophistication in
the selection of metrics by which to measure programs and initiatives is critical. Beware of metrics in a
counterinsurgency, or be prepared to devote incredible resources to getting them right. Metrics can drive behavior
and lead to solutions in search of a problem. They may over-simplify complex dynamics and divert energy and resources from
problem solving to data collection and packaging... Progress is incremental, and thus not sexy... We
should learn to accept - as the world of public policy does - that incremental progress toward a known good
is the reality when working with the "wicked problems" of humanity. [JLJ - incremental progress towards vital 'dimensions
of concern' is the reality when playing a game against a tough opponent. 'Metrics can drive behavior' is profound and worth
further investigation. Perhaps sophisticated game-playing begins with a foundation of sophisticated metrics gathering.]
