Counterinsurgency is not a new idea - the Romans were fighting indigenous rebellions 2,000 years ago. Lately, however, partly because of the lack of success against rebellions in countries such as Afghanistan, there has been a redefinition of the concept and indeed a new paradigm of warfare in the 21st century. Four recent books give an outline of this redefinition.
Rupert Smith's The Utility of Force is subtitled "The Art of War in the Modern World" and is essentially an updating of Gen. Clausewitz's On War. Smith, a British officer who served with distinction in the first Persian Gulf War and in Bosnia at the time of the Srebrenica Massacre, argues that warfare is typically no longer fought between national armies on battlefields; the aim of an insurgency is to influence the will of a people and, thus, counterinsurgency must be directed at that same will. War is as much political as military and its central focus must be as in the Vietnam cliché "The hearts and minds of the people."
David Kilcullen's The Accidental Guerrilla brings some specifics to these general ideas. Kilcullen, a former Australian Army officer, did field work in Indonesia and Afghanistan among insurgents. The key to success is what he calls "population-centric security." This means constantly present troops, local alliances, support for local security forces and long-term commitment (10 or 20 years). It does not mean Green Zones, drive-by patrols or even drone attacks.
The "accidental guerrilla" is created when an insurgent force such as al-Qaida moves into a region and establishes links with the local population. Armed assault - in the absence of the political elements of counterinsurgency - forces the population into the arms of the insurgents.
Counterinsurgency requires a depth of commitment that modern western armies have a hard time delivering. Greg Mortenson's Stones into Schools illustrates, in a non-military context, what a successful effort looks like. Mortenson, an ex-mountain climber whose Three Cups of Tea became a bestseller, uses his Central Asia Institute as a vehicle to promote girls' education in Afghanistan against the background of the resurgence of the Taliban and is remarkably successful. The principles of his success are simple: staff who are from the region; the formation of alliances with local leaders, almost all of whom are extremely enthusiastic about education; and long-term commitment.
All of these books are available at the Port Moody Public Library.
A Good Read is a column by Tri-City librarians that is published every Wednesday. Martin Boughner works at Port Moody Public Library.
