The border counterinsurgency

David Danelo

Soldiers patrolled in teams of four with weapons at the ready, wearing masks over their faces to conceal their identities from enemy surveillance. More than 40 checkpoints had been placed around the city; military forces took over for police, screening traffic and maintaining security. Occasionally, firefights broke out between various armed factions. The locals were stuck in the middle, and often played both sides.

Iraq? Afghanistan? The Balkans?

I recently observed this scene unfold in Ciudad JuĂ