Counter-insurgency in Afghanistan stems from lessons taught by colonialwars but these need to be adapted, taking into account the specifics of our time. Factors such as the legitimacy and the homogeneity of the insurgency, the weight of public opinion amongst countries of the coalition, as well as the role of technological advance must be taken into consideration. In a wider sense, defining a clear political objective andmaintaining coherence in the efforts to stabilize the regionmust remain the main priority.