Counterinsurgency

James LechnerRetired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and former Army Ranger, Battle of Mogadishu veteran, and author of With My Shield

• Lechner argues that focusing solely on destroying insurgent forces fails because the population keeps replenishing them.

  “So if you focus on destroying the military forces that they put against you, you're never going to win. You're cutting grass”

  The Shawn Ryan Show: #346 James Lechner - Army Ranger Recounts the Battle of Mogadishu: Black Hawk Down (Oct 8, 2026) · Listen from 2:41:16

• Lechner argues that the U.S. government, as distinct from the military, performs poorly at foreign interventions and foreign policy.

  “The U.S. government is horrible at trying to do foreign interventions and foreign policy”

  The Shawn Ryan Show: #346 James Lechner - Army Ranger Recounts the Battle of Mogadishu: Black Hawk Down (Oct 8, 2026) · Listen from 9:31