#INSURGENCY DEFINITION MANUAL#
#INSURGENCY DEFINITION FULL#
#INSURGENCY DEFINITION TRIAL#

He sums up his attitude thus: вЂњBuild (or rebuild) a political machine from the population upwards.вЂќД¬ounterinsurgency techniques tend to be formed through trial and error, based on our understanding of a particular location and feedback loops. This is known as the вЂoil spotвЂ™ strategy. Galula advocates starting in one location and spreading out, using it as a safe base until the surrounding areas can be controlled. Even an uncooperative population must be kept safe while mutual trust builds. Once a population supports its governing bodies, conflict becomes unlikely. Firstly, the goal is to gain support rather than control. Despite the liquid nature of counterinsurgency, he outlines the key principles. Looking at conflicts he has experienced, Galula considers the perspectives of both sides. Insurgents aim to disrupt these, while counterinsurgents aim to rebuild them. Populations of people tend towards entropy without coherent political, economic, social and educational structures. Moreover, disorder- the normal state of nature- is cheap to create and very costly to prevent. It helps disrupt the economy, hence to produce discontent it serves to undermine the strength and the authority of the counterinsurgent. Prompting disorder is a legitimate objective for the insurgent. Another typical technique is the restoration of as much stability as possible to reduce the power of insurgents. Other theorists have explained that the objective is to gain support, not terrain.

If the insurgent manages to dissociate the population from the counterinsurgentвЂ¦he will win the warвЂ¦Thus the battle for the population is a major characteristic of the revolutionary war. The population represents this new ground. In Counterinsurgency Warfare, David Galula expands upon this key component of counterinsurgent efforts: Food supplies for insurgents can be cut off, such as through the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam to kill crops. Civilians may be forced to carry ID and have it checked at regular intervals. One common method is to force the population to move to a different area, making insurgents easier to identify. Insurgents cannot operate without the supportвЂ¦of the local populationвЂ¦violence against noncombatant civilians by security forces, whether intentional or accidental is almost always entirely counterproductive. The more a population sides with counterinsurgents, the less power insurgents have. Small efforts like that compound to create trust and subsequent cooperation.

What seems like a simple act of kindness is actually a clever military tactic. We often see photographs of soldiers handing out toys and sweets to children in war zones. One critical, omnipresent element is the effort to forge partnerships with civilian populations. Each learns to defend themselves and to predict risks to their agenda.

#INSURGENCY DEFINITION FULL#

How Counterinsurgency WorksД¬ounterinsurgency is complex and delicate, full of metaphorical minefields.Д¬ombat can be viewed as a sped up evolutionary process, wherein both sides adapt constantly in response to the behavior of the other. In the end, counterinsurgents try to create stability in the least harmful way possible, allowing a country to return to normal functioning. No rulebook or particular strategy exists-counterinsurgent forces combine psychological, military, economic and political techniques. The aim is to minimize civilian deaths while strengthening the influence of governments. In essence, counterinsurgency involves the attempts governments make to restore peace. Counterinsurgency is simply whatever governments do to defeat rebellions.

#INSURGENCY DEFINITION MANUAL#

In Counterinsurgency, David Kilcullen writes:ДЄn insurgency, according to the current US military field manual on the subject is вЂan organized movement aimed at the overthrow of a constituted government through the use of subversion and armed conflictвЂ¦Stated another way, an insurgency is an organized, protracted politico-military struggle designed to weaken the control and legitimacy of an established government, occupying power or other political authority while increasing insurgent control.вЂ™ The same field manual defines counterinsurgency as the вЂmilitary, paramilitary, political, economic, psychological and civic actions taken by a government to defeat insurgency.вЂ™ Counterinsurgency therefore is an umbrella term that describes the complete range of measures that governments take to defeat insurgenciesвЂ¦there is no template, no single set of techniques for countering insurgencies. For an accurate definition of counterinsurgency (and the flipside, insurgency), we can look to one of the definitive texts on the topic.

Insurgency definition