Plan Colombia has been described as a model of successful counterinsurgency and foreign internal defense at a time when large footprints in Iraq and Afghanistan have had mixed results. In this episode, we're joined by two guests. Alberto José Mejía Ferrero served as the general commander of the Military Forces of Colombia and has worked closely with American forces throughout his career. Dr. David Spencer is a professor at the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies at the National Defense University and coauthored of A Great Perhaps? Colombia: Conflict and Divergence. They reflect on their extensive firsthand experience to outline the key components of Plan Colombia, and more broadly to discuss its successes and shortcomings as a model for counterinsurgency and military intervention in the future.
Intro music: "Unsilenced" by Ketsa
In counterinsurgency warfare, how can powerful states reform corrupt or repressive governments into legitimate ones? Our guests on this episode, Jacqueline L. Hazelton and...
What are unconventional warfare and foreign subversion? Will they be important in an era of great power competition? What are some of the second-...
What is the role of security force assistance in achieving national security objectives? Where did security force assistance work well in the post-9/11 era,...