Clearly, without a significant change in course, afghanistan was at risk. Us marine corps, smallunit leaders guide to counterinsurgency coin at the tactical level. Short, sweet, and packed with invaluable information, including twentyeight fundamentals by david kilcullen. Adapting counterinsurgency principles to afghanistan small wars. Insurgencies, guerrilla warfarewhatever we chose to call this type of violence, it is, by far the deadliest threat to those who serve in uniform. Understanding counterinsurgency efforts in tribalized rural and muslim. It depicts the approach, begun in october 2003, to create a successful counterinsurgency coin campaign in the other war that resulted in over two years of relative stability and progress. The army university press books are traditional and interactive works relevant. Three new books on counterinsurgency foreign affairs. Counterinsurgency has staked its claim in the new century as the new american way of war. Norton, 2009 and counterinsurgency in afghanistan rand, 2008, is one of the most prolific writers on recent us counterinsurgency efforts.
This book written in 1964 was in many ways a forgotten work. My personal position on counterinsurgency in general, and on iraq and afghanistan in particular, could therefore be summarized as never again, but. But to be of practical use to american troops in fierce battles in iraq, afghanistan and beyond, the final draft of the handbook must be more than a counterinsurgency 101 exercise. Grit, strategy, and the way out of afghanistan argues that the u. This article outlines the changes subsequently made to u. Counterinsurgency was never about afghanistan foreign policy. The army university press books are traditional and interactive works relevant to the current interests and concerns of the us army. The us has repeatedly misdiagnosed the war in afghanistan. Irregular warfare is the oldest form of warfareit long predates the rise of conventional armies in ancient mesopotamia around 3000 bc.
The united states intelligence agencies and military commands cant agree on whether to be cautiously optimistic or cautiously pessimistic on prospects for afghanistan. The routledge handbook of insurgency and counterinsurgency. As the title of bing wests new book suggests, the wrong war. The goal of the counterinsurgency strategy is to defeat taliban and affiliated insurgents by helping to bolster the afghan government and its security forces, winning the hearts and minds of afghans, reintegrating and reconciling former insurgents into society and helping to. David petraeus and the plot to change the american way of war by kaplan, fredric m. If you are strong and fighting the weak, then if you kill your opponent then you are a scoundrel. Afghanistan, iraq and counterinsurgency in this special anniversary episode, a decade at war. Jan 11, 2011 this is a pivot point in our policy, an unnamed senior official confided to reporters aboard bidens plane en route to afghanistan monday.
This study explores the nature of the insurgency in afghanistan, the key challenges and successes of the u. Evolution and debate by janine davidson the brookings institution brookings counterinsurgency and pakistan paper series. This book is, perhaps, the most definitive manual for an initiate in the subject of counterinsurgency. Counterinsurgency in vietnam, afghanistan, and iraq. The goal of the counterinsurgency strategy is to defeat taliban and affiliated insurgents by helping to bolster the afghan government and its security forces, winning the hearts and minds of afghans, reintegrating and reconciling former insurgents into society and helping to kickstart a functioning national economy. Culture, conflict, and counterinsurgency edited by thomas h. Counterinsurgency in afghanistan stanley mcchrystal. The concept dovetailed with the revival of counterinsurgency strategy, which had moldered in the. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read aspiration and ambivalence. Counterinsurgency strategy in afghanistan general stanley mcchrystal was relieved of his duties as top commander in afghanistan after making unflattering comments about the obama administration in. Human terrain teams and us military strategy in iraq and afghanistan 97817404800.
Aug 28, 20 never mind that many of the social scientists had never studied afghanistan or been in the country before. This page is over the subject of counterinsurgency and stability and its related issues. The best books on understanding the war in afghanistan five. Jun 23, 2010 counterinsurgency strategy in afghanistan general stanley mcchrystal was relieved of his duties as top commander in afghanistan after making unflattering comments about the obama administration in. Oct 08, 2011 counterinsurgency is no longer the buzz word it was in 2009, when president obama was deliberating strategy for the war in afghanistan. Insurgency, counterinsurgency and guerrilla warfare 64 books. As a military strategy, counterinsurgency gained prominence in iraq during 2006, when general david petraeus and a group of. This essay further forwards that attempts to compare malaya with other counterinsurgency campaigns such as the vietnam war or afghanistan war are limited in value, and risk dangerous oversimplifications. Essentials counterinsurgency strategy nato libguides at. He retired from active service to continue his agitation as a civilian, and among other things posted this list of best books and a video on amazon. Oct 21, 2009 the drugviolence nexus in afghanistan and elsewhere in the world is the domain of my work, the subject of my forthcoming book, shooting up. Galula knows what he is talking about, having served in china 194548, greece 194950 and algeria 195658, and he has an unusual bent for exhaustive analysis. Mwi nonresident fellow has gathered a broad collection of books that, together, help to conceptualize the many challenges posed by insurgencies.
David kilcullen was formerly the senior counterinsurgency advisor to general david petraeus in iraq and later an advisor to general stanley mcchrystal in. Drawn from the observations of a french officer, david galula, who witnessed guerrilla warfare on three continents, the book remains relevant today as american policymakers, military analysts, and members of the public look to the counterinsurgency era of the 1960s for lessons to apply to the current situation in iraq and afghanistan. As such, it is primarily a political struggle, in which both sides use armed force to create space for their political, economic and. Questioning the counterinsurgency doctrine in afghanistan jstor.
Counterinsurgency in afghanistan and pakistan, 20012011 by cassidy, robert m. The wars in iraq and afghanistan, among other things, were stark reminders of how little americans. Us involvement in iraq and afghanistan has highlighted this form of conflict in the modern world. Assessing the british counterinsurgency effort in malaya. In afghanistan, its entirely possible that we wage the finest counterinsurgency operations ever devised by man, that we wage incredibly moral and ethically responsibility campaigns, that we wage. Many books and manuals have been written about counterinsurgency strategies. Yet, the wars in afghanistan and iraq have revived a historical debate about the costs monetary, political and moral of operations designed to eliminate insurgents and build nations. The routledge handbook of insurgency and counterinsurgency will be of great interest to all students of insurgency and small wars, terrorismcounterterrorism, strategic studies, security studies and ir in general, as well as professional military colleges and policymakers. Matt zeller, watches without time no grand strategy. Opinion counterinsurgency, by the book the new york times. Drawing both on the authors experiences as a combat battalion commander in the iraq war and his research into the application of counterinsurgency in a variety of historical contexts, wrong turn is a brilliant summation of gentiles views of the failures of coin, as well as a searing reevaluation of the current state of affairs in afghanistan. The implementation of modernday coin did not begin in afghanistan. Doing strategy better would leverage the american army out of its selfinflicted box of counterinsurgency tactics and methodologies into a more open assessment of alternatives to current military.
Questioning the counterinsurgency doctrine in afghanistan. Popular counter insurgency books showing 150 of 225 learning to eat soup with a knife. A winning strategy for afghanistan small wars journal. Indeed, his vision of modern warfare powerfully influenced the united states decision to rethink its military strategy. His most recent book is the theory and practice of associative power. But looking at the current situations in iraq, syria or afghanistan, it seems that either nobody has read any of these writings, or the given advice is wrong or not applicable. As suggested by its name, counterinsurgency is defined as a set of strategies and practices intended to halt insurgency. John nagl was one of the most respected voices for reforming the us armys approach to counterinsurgency. Counterinsurgency, comprehensive approach, and political order by ehrhart, hansgeorg, ed. This libguide offers a set of highquality sources of information to assist you with your research on issues related to counterinsurgency strategy, in particular in the context of natos role in afghanistan.
In counterinsurgency, kilcullen brings together his most salient writings on this vitally important topic. Counterinsurgency and american strategy, past and future. Csi press publications on afghanistan army university press. Counterinsurgency warfare share book recommendations. This thesis contends the debate on whether to embrace a populationcentric or enemycentric counterinsurgency strategy in afghanistan detracts focus from building a balanced approach, customized for the human and political landscape in each area of operation ao. Insurgency, in turn, generally refers to a broad set of strategies and practices such as guerrilla warfare, terrorism, or nonviolent resistance intended to destroy or replace an existing structure of authority. As is outlined in the book, counterinsurgency requires an utterly different way of thinking and training. Csi press publications on counterinsurgency and stability. Essentials counterinsurgency strategy nato libguides. By examining the key lessons from all insurgencies since world war ii. Their analyses of us counterinsurgency strategy in afghanistan, coupled with the us counterinsurgency field manual, helps scholars understand what went wrong and what future prospects for success exist in the region. Counterinsurgency and american strategy, past and future steven metz tuesday, jan.
President obamas political objectives for afghanistan are limited and feasible, says military historian gian gentile, but the militarys counterinsurgency strategy. Government counterinsurgency guide january 2009 executive summary insurgency is the organized use of subversion and violence to seize, nullify or challenge political control of a region. Furthermore, populationcentric counterinsurgency, as documented in field manual 324, counterinsurgency, is only one possible approach to counterinsurgency. This book examines counterinsurgency operations in afghanistan fol. The authors of culture, conflict and counterinsurgency contend that an enduring victory can still be achieved in afghanistan. But the road to victory was a rocky one, with early strategy proving erroneous and to the detriment of the campaign. Aligning a counterinsurgency strategy for afghanistan. This work contributes to rands numerous counterinsurgency monographs by adding a volume on the troubled afghanistanpakistan border region.
The concept dovetailed with the revival of counterinsurgency strategy, which had moldered. The other aspect is that is does require gaining the hearts and minds of the local people. The more the counterinsurgent forces are able to exert control over an area, the. This is not a book about policy, strategy, or national politics in afghanistan, nor is it a book about counterinsurgency theory. Coins failure in afghanistan the national interest. A senior counterinsurgency advisor to general david petraeus in iraq, his vision of war powerfully influenced americas decision to rethink its military strategy in iraq and implement the surge, now recognized as a dramatic success. Culture, conflict, and counterinsurgency edited by. Shifting approaches to strategy have not only left military actors puzzled, but also. Last week i was in kandahar in southern afghanistan, following general stanley mcchrystal, the wiry american commander of coalition forces, as he puts his strategy for counterinsurgency in. On tuesday, biden issued a statement seeming to back away from a fullfledged counterinsurgency strategy. American strategy effectively targeted both the insurgents strategic. Armies, sometimes reluctantly, have had to adopt new doctrines and tactics to deal with the problems of insurgency and diverse counterinsurgency strategies have been developed. Counterinsurgency is a picture of modern warfare by someone who has had his boots on the ground in some of todays worst trouble spots including iraq and afghanistan and who has been studying the topic since 1995.
How to win a counterinsurgency campaign effective integration of assessments and information into the planning of military operations by michael j. Nov 18, 2015 central among these is counterinsurgency warfare. This is not something that large, peacetime armies are good at. Our substitute for a successful counterinsurgency strategy is still largely an endless process of playing whack a mole. Strategies and realities of counterinsurgency and statebuilding. This is not the best book for those new to the study of counterinsurgency. Counterinsurgency in modern warfare book, 2008 worldcat. Jul 28, 2016 the problem with afghanistans counterinsurgency. Theory and practice, praeger security international, westport, ct introduction its hardly surprising that counterinsurgency warfare is often near the top of the reading list for. Counterinsurgency strategy not working in afghanistan. Here is a picture of modern warfare by someone who has had his boots on the ground in some of todays worst trouble spotsincluding iraq and afghanistanand who has been studying counterinsurgency since 1985.
Seth jones, a political scientist at rand and the author of in the graveyard of empires. Never mind that many of the social scientists had never studied afghanistan or been in the country before. Theory and practice by david galula summary written by brett reeder, conflict research consortium citation. Strategies and realities of counterinsurgency and statebuilding in afghanistan ebook written by vanda felbabbrown. This monograph recommends that pakistan adopt a populationcentric counterinsurgency strategy by abandoning militant groups as tools of foreign and domestic policy while advocating the united states adjust its carrots and sticks to influence pakistans behavior as a responsible ally. In 1898 van heutsz was proclaimed governor of aceh, and with his lieutenant, later dutch prime minister hendrikus colijn, would finally conquer most of aceh. Irregular warfare is the oldest form of warfareit long predates the rise of conventional armies in. The dutch formulated a new strategy of counterinsurgency warfare, during the aceh war by deploying lightarmed marechaussee units and using scorched earth tactics. Here is a picture of modern warfare by someone who has had his boots on the ground in some of todays worst trouble spotsincluding iraq and afghanistan and who has been studying counterinsurgency since 1985. Counterinsurgency is not a strategy but rather a range of possible ways in the ends, ways, and means formulation of strategy. However, to secure it we must better understand the cultural foundations of the continuing conflicts that rage across afghanistan and neighboring pakistan, and shift our strategy from an attritional engagement to a smarter war plan that embraces these cultural. Editors note renewed american efforts to win the war in afghanistan against a resurgent taliban, as well as the ongoing war in iraq, have kept the question of counterinsurgency strategy at the forefront of u.
There are many organizational strategy and insights from both the insurgency and counterinsurgency perspective that can be applied outside the theatre of war. Nov 04, 20 counterinsurgency was never about afghanistan. Analysis afghanistan and the counterinsurgency war obama. Counterinsurgency lessons from malaya and vietnam paperback by. Here is a picture of modern warfare by someone who has had his boots on the ground in some of todays worst trouble spots including iraq and afghanistan and who has been studying counterinsurgency since 1985. David kilcullen is one of the worlds most influential experts on counterinsurgency and modern warfare, a groundbreaking theorist whose ideas are revolutionizing military thinking throughout the west washington post. However, to secure it we must better understand the cultural foundations of the continuing conflicts that rage across afghanistan and neighboring pakistan, and shift our strategy from an attritional engagement to a smarter war plan that embraces. Mar 18, 2016 how to win a counterinsurgency campaign effective integration of assessments and information into the planning of military operations by michael j. However, to secure it we must better understand the cultural foundations of the continuing conflicts that rage across afghanistan and neighboring pakistan, and shift our strategy from an attritional engagement to a smarter war plan that embraces these cultural dimensions. Grit, strategy, and the way out of afghanistan by west, bing call number. These three books look at the different sides of the coin.