New training manuals and experience of counter insurgency "hearts and minds" operations in Afghanistan, have achieved much, officials say.
The British army, with experience of counter-insurgency in its former colonies and Northern Ireland, despaired of America's failings during the early years of the occupation of Iraq.
She has extensive experience of counter-terrorism policing, having undertaken command roles after 9/11 and, four years later, the 2005 bombings in London.
Despite the Pakistani army's status as the Muslim world's biggest fighting force, and its long experience of counter-insurgency warfare in rugged terrain, getting sucked into Yemen would be a dangerous gamble.
Yesterday the official, who has many years' experience of counter-terrorist work, said: 'He was insistent he had not been involved in any fighting, and when we asked if he would be willing to assist us in the war against terror, I thought he might be willing to try.
His pioneering approach, built on years of experience working on countering far-right extremism in Germany, is often described as a soft method.
When O'Brien suggested to his guest that he probably should have looked elsewhere for that kind of experience, Offerman countered that though "one would think" so, "it turns out there's a lot of pent-up desire".
The above negative accounts of experiences were countered by descriptions of instances of being cared for by healthcare staff with compassion and sensitivity; "the staff on that ward, they were good to me.
And a wealth of job experience can counter slower cognitive speed.
It seems to be having an argument with itself: the dazzling but often antiseptic immersiveness of the viewing experience is countered by storytelling suffused with nostalgia for a simpler, messier, livelier period in Chinese film.
