Military similarities between Iraq and Algeria

By Ricardo Israel Z. (for Safe Democracy)

Ricardo Israel Zipper compares the situation of the United States in Iraq with the experience of France in Algeria (1954-1962), and points out seven lessons that can be learned from the past and applied today in Iraq. Much more than the War in Vietnam, the French War in Algeria serves as a perfect example of both the military and political frustration that an invading force can suffer in a foreign country. In Israel Z‘s opinion, George W. Bush should heed the experience of France in Algeria to avoid making the same mistakes, which led to such tragic results in North Africa.


Ricardo Israel Z. is a lawyer and a political scientist. He has a PhD and a master’s in Political Science from the University of Essex and is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Chile. He is the Director of the International Center for Quality in Democracy and of the School of Juridical and Social Sciences at the Aut