insurgency http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com/index.php/ en “Accidental Guerrilla” Syndrome in California, 1836-1846 http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com/index.php/jrnl/art/accidental-guerrilla-syndrome-california-1836-1846 <span>“Accidental Guerrilla” Syndrome in California, 1836-1846</span> <span><span>SWJED</span></span> <span>Wed, 04/01/2020 - 3:21am</span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item">Sun Tzu’s injunction to “know your enemy” is never more critical than in counterinsurgency (COIN) warfare. During its COIN conflicts in the last hundred years, the United States military has fallen especially prey to the thinking trap of lumping all its opponents into the same category. COIN expert David Kilcullen identified this phenomenon as “accidental guerrilla syndrome” in his 2009 book of the same name.</div> <ul class="links inline list-inline"><li class="node-readmore"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/accidental-guerrilla-syndrome-california-1836-1846" rel="tag" title="“Accidental Guerrilla” Syndrome in California, 1836-1846" hreflang="en">Read more<span class="visually-hidden"> about “Accidental Guerrilla” Syndrome in California, 1836-1846</span></a></li><li class="comment-comments"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/accidental-guerrilla-syndrome-california-1836-1846#comments" title="Jump to the first comment." hreflang="en">3 comments</a></li><li class="comment-new-comments"><a href="/index.php/taxonomy/term/34/feed" class="hidden" title="Jump to the first new comment." data-history-node-last-comment-timestamp="1632478569" data-history-node-field-name="comment"></a></li><li class="comment-forbidden"></li><li></li></ul> Wed, 01 Apr 2020 07:21:35 +0000 SWJED 137204 at http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com Taliban Fragmentation: Fact, Fiction, and Future http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com/index.php/jrnl/art/taliban-fragmentation-fact-fiction-and-future <span>Taliban Fragmentation: Fact, Fiction, and Future</span> <span><span>SWJED</span></span> <span>Mon, 03/30/2020 - 9:09am</span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item">For years, the U.S. military pursued a "divide and defeat" strategy against the Afghan Taliban, attempting to exploit the supposedly fragmented nature of the group. Drawing on the academic literature on insurgency, civil war, and negotiated peace, this report finds that the Taliban is a far more cohesive organization than a fragmented one.</div> <ul class="links inline list-inline"><li class="node-readmore"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/taliban-fragmentation-fact-fiction-and-future" rel="tag" title="Taliban Fragmentation: Fact, Fiction, and Future" hreflang="en">Read more<span class="visually-hidden"> about Taliban Fragmentation: Fact, Fiction, and Future</span></a></li><li class="comment-comments"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/taliban-fragmentation-fact-fiction-and-future#comments" title="Jump to the first comment." hreflang="en">1 comment</a></li><li class="comment-new-comments"><a href="/index.php/taxonomy/term/34/feed" class="hidden" title="Jump to the first new comment." data-history-node-last-comment-timestamp="1632478575" data-history-node-field-name="comment"></a></li><li class="comment-forbidden"></li><li></li></ul> Mon, 30 Mar 2020 13:09:21 +0000 SWJED 137096 at http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com Coronavirus Poses Yet Another Challenge to the Afghan Peace Process http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com/index.php/jrnl/art/coronavirus-poses-yet-another-challenge-afghan-peace-process <span>Coronavirus Poses Yet Another Challenge to the Afghan Peace Process</span> <span><span>SWJED</span></span> <span>Thu, 03/26/2020 - 9:37pm</span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item">U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s effort this week to bring the parties together failed and led the U.S. to reduce aid to Afghanistan. Amid all this uncertainty, Afghanistan is beginning to see the signs of a coronavirus outbreak, which could devastate the country given its poor health infrastructure and pollution problems. USIP’s Scott Smith explains how the coronavirus could further exacerbates an already complex situation.</div> <ul class="links inline list-inline"><li class="node-readmore"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/coronavirus-poses-yet-another-challenge-afghan-peace-process" rel="tag" title="Coronavirus Poses Yet Another Challenge to the Afghan Peace Process" hreflang="en">Read more<span class="visually-hidden"> about Coronavirus Poses Yet Another Challenge to the Afghan Peace Process</span></a></li><li class="comment-comments"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/coronavirus-poses-yet-another-challenge-afghan-peace-process#comments" title="Jump to the first comment." hreflang="en">1 comment</a></li><li class="comment-new-comments"><a href="/index.php/taxonomy/term/34/feed" class="hidden" title="Jump to the first new comment." data-history-node-last-comment-timestamp="1632478761" data-history-node-field-name="comment"></a></li><li class="comment-forbidden"></li><li></li></ul> Fri, 27 Mar 2020 01:37:04 +0000 SWJED 136936 at http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com Winning Small Wars in Contests for the People http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com/index.php/jrnl/art/winning-small-wars-contests-people <span>Winning Small Wars in Contests for the People</span> <span><span>SWJED</span></span> <span>Thu, 03/05/2020 - 12:28pm</span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item">A dilemma is now facing western militaries, in-so-far as, the contextual terrain has shifted to such an extent that their enemies refuse to engage them in a manner that would ensure their own destruction. Focus on this modern Sphacterian-dilemma has led to discussions and debates that are encapsulated within the ‘War amongst the people’ arena.</div> <ul class="links inline list-inline"><li class="node-readmore"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/winning-small-wars-contests-people" rel="tag" title="Winning Small Wars in Contests for the People" hreflang="en">Read more<span class="visually-hidden"> about Winning Small Wars in Contests for the People</span></a></li><li class="comment-comments"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/winning-small-wars-contests-people#comments" title="Jump to the first comment." hreflang="en">2 comments</a></li><li class="comment-new-comments"><a href="/index.php/taxonomy/term/34/feed" class="hidden" title="Jump to the first new comment." data-history-node-last-comment-timestamp="1632478847" data-history-node-field-name="comment"></a></li><li class="comment-forbidden"></li><li></li></ul> Thu, 05 Mar 2020 17:28:48 +0000 SWJED 135641 at http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com Case Analysis: The FARC in Colombia http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com/index.php/jrnl/art/case-analysis-farc-colombia <span>Case Analysis: The FARC in Colombia</span> <span><span>SWJED</span></span> <span>Thu, 03/05/2020 - 12:42am</span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item">An understanding of this particular case offers not only relevant lessons for the U.S. in our continuing small wars operations, but also on national interests in Colombia—including economic considerations and counter-narcotics efforts—could become threatened by FARC’s dissident groups.</div> <ul class="links inline list-inline"><li class="node-readmore"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/case-analysis-farc-colombia" rel="tag" title="Case Analysis: The FARC in Colombia" hreflang="en">Read more<span class="visually-hidden"> about Case Analysis: The FARC in Colombia</span></a></li><li class="comment-comments"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/case-analysis-farc-colombia#comments" title="Jump to the first comment." hreflang="en">1 comment</a></li><li class="comment-new-comments"><a href="/index.php/taxonomy/term/34/feed" class="hidden" title="Jump to the first new comment." data-history-node-last-comment-timestamp="1632478852" data-history-node-field-name="comment"></a></li><li class="comment-forbidden"></li><li></li></ul> Thu, 05 Mar 2020 05:42:40 +0000 SWJED 135621 at http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com The Three Misunderstandings of Soviet Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com/index.php/jrnl/art/three-misunderstandings-soviet-counterinsurgency-afghanistan-0 <span>The Three Misunderstandings of Soviet Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan</span> <span><span>SWJED</span></span> <span>Wed, 02/19/2020 - 10:58am</span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item">Several major actions taken by the United States and coalition in the last 18 years share much in common with the efforts of the Soviet Union during its combat operations in the country (1979-1989). It is therefore incumbent upon any student of the current conflict to firmly understand the Soviet conflict, its doctrine, execution, and most importantly, the Soviet methods of counterinsurgency.</div> <ul class="links inline list-inline"><li class="node-readmore"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/three-misunderstandings-soviet-counterinsurgency-afghanistan-0" rel="tag" title="The Three Misunderstandings of Soviet Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan" hreflang="en">Read more<span class="visually-hidden"> about The Three Misunderstandings of Soviet Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan</span></a></li><li class="comment-comments"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/three-misunderstandings-soviet-counterinsurgency-afghanistan-0#comments" title="Jump to the first comment." hreflang="en">1 comment</a></li><li class="comment-new-comments"><a href="/index.php/taxonomy/term/34/feed" class="hidden" title="Jump to the first new comment." data-history-node-last-comment-timestamp="1632480592" data-history-node-field-name="comment"></a></li><li class="comment-forbidden"></li><li></li></ul> Wed, 19 Feb 2020 15:58:47 +0000 SWJED 134448 at http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com Improving the Understanding of Political Legitimacy in COIN Doctrine http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com/index.php/jrnl/art/improving-understanding-political-legitimacy-coin-doctrine <span>Improving the Understanding of Political Legitimacy in COIN Doctrine</span> <span><span>SWJED</span></span> <span>Tue, 02/18/2020 - 9:45am</span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item">Army and Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Doctrine was initially developed in the midst of the Iraq War as the military struggled to accept the situation it found itself in and struggled to create a strategy to address it. Initially published in 2004 as an interim doctrine, and then in 2006 as a completed publication, the Army and Marine Corps’ primary counterinsurgency doctrine has only been updated once since then.</div> <ul class="links inline list-inline"><li class="node-readmore"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/improving-understanding-political-legitimacy-coin-doctrine" rel="tag" title="Improving the Understanding of Political Legitimacy in COIN Doctrine" hreflang="en">Read more<span class="visually-hidden"> about Improving the Understanding of Political Legitimacy in COIN Doctrine</span></a></li><li class="comment-comments"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/improving-understanding-political-legitimacy-coin-doctrine#comments" title="Jump to the first comment." hreflang="en">3 comments</a></li><li class="comment-new-comments"><a href="/index.php/taxonomy/term/34/feed" class="hidden" title="Jump to the first new comment." data-history-node-last-comment-timestamp="1680744608" data-history-node-field-name="comment"></a></li><li class="comment-forbidden"></li><li></li></ul> Tue, 18 Feb 2020 14:45:41 +0000 SWJED 134353 at http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com PLAN COLOMBIA: Learning from a Light-footprint “America Second” Military Strategy http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com/index.php/jrnl/art/plan-colombia-learning-light-footprint-america-second-military-strategy <span>PLAN COLOMBIA: Learning from a Light-footprint “America Second” Military Strategy</span> <span><span>SWJED</span></span> <span>Tue, 02/18/2020 - 8:02am</span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item">The United States has intervened repeatedly in the southern hemisphere for a myriad of reasons, but primarily to address growing problems metastasizing at the “Southern strategic approaches” to American territory. While today’s problem of 2015-2020 is one of human mass migration, the previous crisis of 2000 to 2010 stemmed from of an epidemic of illicit drugs. This threat was so pernicious at that period, the United States felt compelled to act with our partner nation of Colombia. With a combination of all instruments of national power, a holistic strategy with a small but powerful military theme emerged.</div> <ul class="links inline list-inline"><li class="node-readmore"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/plan-colombia-learning-light-footprint-america-second-military-strategy" rel="tag" title="PLAN COLOMBIA: Learning from a Light-footprint “America Second” Military Strategy" hreflang="en">Read more<span class="visually-hidden"> about PLAN COLOMBIA: Learning from a Light-footprint “America Second” Military Strategy</span></a></li><li class="comment-comments"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/plan-colombia-learning-light-footprint-america-second-military-strategy#comments" title="Jump to the first comment." hreflang="en">3 comments</a></li><li class="comment-new-comments"><a href="/index.php/taxonomy/term/34/feed" class="hidden" title="Jump to the first new comment." data-history-node-last-comment-timestamp="1632480606" data-history-node-field-name="comment"></a></li><li class="comment-forbidden"></li><li></li></ul> Tue, 18 Feb 2020 13:02:09 +0000 SWJED 134339 at http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com Afghanistan at an Impasse http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com/index.php/jrnl/art/afghanistan-impasse <span>Afghanistan at an Impasse</span> <span><span>SWJED</span></span> <span>Fri, 01/24/2020 - 8:51am</span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item">The war in Afghanistan is at an impasse. The current and next U.S. administrations will have to grapple with the aftereffects of an 18-year campaign in a country that has been at war for over 40 years. The war in the field is a stalemate. Neither side seems able to win. At home and abroad, among friends and even some enemies, war weariness and a desire for peace is very much in evidence, even as the fighting continues. Neither side has been able to find a path to a negotiated settlement.</div> <ul class="links inline list-inline"><li class="node-readmore"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/afghanistan-impasse" rel="tag" title="Afghanistan at an Impasse" hreflang="en">Read more<span class="visually-hidden"> about Afghanistan at an Impasse</span></a></li><li class="comment-comments"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/afghanistan-impasse#comments" title="Jump to the first comment." hreflang="en">1 comment</a></li><li class="comment-new-comments"><a href="/index.php/taxonomy/term/34/feed" class="hidden" title="Jump to the first new comment." data-history-node-last-comment-timestamp="1632483168" data-history-node-field-name="comment"></a></li><li class="comment-forbidden"></li><li></li></ul> Fri, 24 Jan 2020 13:51:46 +0000 SWJED 132324 at http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com When Insurgent Leadership Splits: Understanding FARC’s Internal Crisis Amidst a Fragile Peace Agreement http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com/index.php/jrnl/art/when-insurgent-leadership-splits-understanding-farcs-internal-crisis-amidst-fragile-peace <span>When Insurgent Leadership Splits: Understanding FARC’s Internal Crisis Amidst a Fragile Peace Agreement</span> <span><span>SWJED</span></span> <span>Fri, 01/17/2020 - 12:19am</span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item">The internal split leadership within FARC presents the organisation with a significant crisis, particularly amongst a fragile and precarious peace agreement. Given the Colombian conflict’s transformation after the 2016 peace agreement with FARC that resulted in the opening of both territorial vacuums and resources for other armed groups, it remains precarious as to how FARC II will merge or compete given its current resources.</div> <ul class="links inline list-inline"><li class="node-readmore"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/when-insurgent-leadership-splits-understanding-farcs-internal-crisis-amidst-fragile-peace" rel="tag" title="When Insurgent Leadership Splits: Understanding FARC’s Internal Crisis Amidst a Fragile Peace Agreement" hreflang="en">Read more<span class="visually-hidden"> about When Insurgent Leadership Splits: Understanding FARC’s Internal Crisis Amidst a Fragile Peace Agreement</span></a></li><li class="comment-comments"><a href="/index.php/jrnl/art/when-insurgent-leadership-splits-understanding-farcs-internal-crisis-amidst-fragile-peace#comments" title="Jump to the first comment." hreflang="en">1 comment</a></li><li class="comment-new-comments"><a href="/index.php/taxonomy/term/34/feed" class="hidden" title="Jump to the first new comment." data-history-node-last-comment-timestamp="1632483492" data-history-node-field-name="comment"></a></li><li class="comment-forbidden"></li><li></li></ul> Fri, 17 Jan 2020 05:19:23 +0000 SWJED 131555 at http://archive.smallwarsjournal.com