Societies, Resistance, And Counter Insurgency

The use of Irregular Warfare has been ongoing for years around the world. Irregular warfare is described as a violent struggle among state and non-state actors for legitimacy and influence over the relevant populations. I will discuss where the U.S. may apply military force in conjunction with other means of national power to stabilize the nation of Somalia. I will also discuss why it would be considered as an Irregular Warfare environment.

Set-up - Warfare is constantly changing, for the tools of war are always evolving, as do the societies that wage war. Between 1400 and 1918, western warfare went through four periods that saw such profound change that it can fairly be said that a "military revolution" occurred. According to historians MacGregor Knox and Williamson Murray, military revolutions "fundamentally change the framework of war" and "recast society and the state as well as military organizations." While all of the military revolutions studied in H100 were important in the evolution of warfare, one clearly stimulated greater change than the others.

Joint Publication (JP) 3-24 and Field Manual (FM) 3-24.2 have slightly different definitions of insurgency. JP 3-34 defines it as the organized use of subversion and violence by a group or movement that seeks to overthrow or force change of a governing authority. FM 3-24.2 defines it as a protracted politico-military struggle designed to weaken government control and legitimacy while increasing insurgent control. I have problems with both definitions. However, I disagree more with the joint publication. This paper will explain why.

In 2013, I was part of Operation Beyond the Horizon (BTH). This is a civil-military mission, which included humanitarian and civic support. In addition, it provides medical, dental, and engineering assistance by Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserves. This is when I first knew about the country of El Salvador and the tragedy it had suffered. This concrete experience has given me the opportunity and real world experience to first hand see what insurgency can do to a Country. Even twenty years later, going in to rebuild schools, provide medical outposts, and repair infrastructures, it is evident that insurgency and its effects are still seen today. What follows is the brief history of insurgency in the Country of El Salvador.

A free society is one without limitations on individuality, one where people can resist against oppression, against ignorance, against hatred. Peaceful resistance is essential to a free society. Without civil disobedience, individuals would be deprived of the values that make up the foundations of a democracy: freedom, justice, and independence. Throughout the course of history, individuals have utilized peaceful resistance as a means of demanding respect, equality, and liberation from oppression. Civil disobedience positively impacts a free society because it empowers individuals, allowing them to fight against injustice and prevent the government from abusing its power.

Conflict between and within nations is proven by history to be expected, but the answer to which countries are at a higher risk for conflict depends on whom you are asking. The reading “Ethnicity, Insurgency and Civil War” by James D. Fearon and David D. Laitin, argues that the conditions that favour insurgency are better predictors of which countries are at risk for internal conflict. Determining which countries are at a higher risk depends on multiple logical factors for the perfect environment for rebellion to occur. These factors are based on the political, economic, and organization of the state in question. Fearon and Laitin dissect the formula for rebellion piece by piece over the course of the entire article. By the end it left me in

As a matter of fact, since September 11, ‘Civilization’ has been evoked to justify the revenge on both the Al Qaeda network and those who harbored it in Afghanistan. Identifying terrorism as the enemy of civilization provides an enormous scope for US intervention overseas as well as sanctioning the Federal Government’s curtailment of civil liberties at home. Furthermore, Bush put the attacks of 9/11 in religious terms, he declared that ‘this crusade, this war on terrorism is going to take a while’ and also in civilizational terms ‘this is civilization’s fight.’

Afghanistan is unique in its military history due to the fact that it has never been successfully conquered or invaded, and the country has seemed to be in conflict consistently since before it was even established as Afghanistan. Different cultures and regimes have tried to lay claim to Afghanistan by conquering its terrain and people, but all attempts, thus far, have been unsuccessful. The following section of research will contain dated subsections briefly covering the military history of Afghanistan over the past 178 years.

The war that was conducted in Afghanistan against the US should prompt other nations that the purpose of war should have a political goal interest and should include military advice but ultimately should be decided by a charismatic civilian leader. “The war in Afghanistan has demonstrated that for all of the vaunted agility and resourcefulness of the U.S. armed forces, the risk of senior commanders' becoming intellectually arrogant and cognitively rigid is real. The COIN paradigm was applied with such unquestioning zeal that critical thought was often suspended.”( Eikenberry 2014). Furthermore, in any future counterinsurgency plan, the security of the citizens (with the help of the military) should be the underlying primary focus. In future counterinsurgent strategy there should be a military civilian plan, the military should find a way to assimilate the population in their security efforts as a way of reassurance. The replication of Provisional Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) can be implemented to strengthen any future COIN strategy. PRTs include both the population and military efforts to assist in rebuilding the nation. Moreover, counterinsurgency strategy should consider implementing isolating insurgent groups and conducting peace rallies or peace talks amongst the citizens. A final lesson

In the many cases of society rising against a ruler, it is the suffocation of the peoples voice that stirs the minds of those capable of initiating change. It is in this overbearing suppression that small groups of courageous individuals come together and rise up against authority for the sake of their people. Whether it be against a monarchy, a terrorist group, or dictatorship, these groups face a definite opposition. Members of torn nations agree that the rebels do nothing but add to civil unrest, that their acts of armed resistance worsen the choke hold on their country. But it is here, in rebellion, that the minds of the oppressed are able to stand on their own, for themselves; in defiance for the sake of freedom.

After more than a decade of military intervention by the United States and NATO allies, Afghanistan remains an unstable and volatile country. Although the Afghan government officially controls most of the nation’s territory it has failed to garner the support of its people, many of whom continue to be threatened by Taliban forces. The Afghan military and security forces suffer from corruption and incompetence, undermining the rule of law and threatening stability. The goal of the United States and NATOs continuing involvement in Afghanistan is to maintain a democratic Afghan government and stability in the region, and as seen in the Vice News documentary “This Is What Winning Looks Like” signs of success are scarce.

In addition to the reasons provided by the authors, the prevalence of terrorism today can also be linked to globalization. As societies become interconnected, the greater the influence of powerful states will be. Civil wars are not new, however, intervention in these conflicts have become more common now than at any other point in history. With globalization, major powers now have a stake in the outcome of these civil wars. As such, they often try to intervene militarily with troops or arms. These organizations then respond using terrorism, insurgency, or guerilla warfare to discourage foreign intervention because they are unable to defeat the opposing force in a conventional war. The various successes of past groups serve to encourage these organizations and strengthen their belief that terrorism can be used to overthrow major powers. Irregular warfare may increasingly become a substitute for war, for radical organizations with limited resources who are fighting for influence. What is clear is that these are not temporary conditions. Conflict has been constant in history and as Colin Gray asserts, when there is an asymmetrical balance of power, groups will result to irregular forms of warfare to accomplish their political

Counterinsurgency, well known as COIN, operations refers to an activity where the armed forces in collaboration with the civilian populous try to defend the legitimacy of existing government from internal insurgency (Paul, & Clarke, 2011). According to Field Manual 3-24, counterinsurgency is a deliberate and combined effort by both civilian and military to resist and probably defeat in any attempt of taking power by the insurgents. In this case, the effort may involve comprehensive war against the insurgents as well as attempts to solve the major cause of such insurgency by addressing key issues of concern (Defense Science Board Task Force on Defense Intelligence, 2011). By doing this, a counterinsurgency operation may yield positive results for the local and international community. The main aim is to protect the legitimate government from being over-thrown and to strengthen its rule within the territory. Consequently, innocent civilians also get an opportunity to help the COIN operation with necessary information among other resources that aid in defeating the insurgents hence restoring normalcy. COIN operations are not only done for the interest of the local community, but also the international community (Steger, 2011).

The insurgency group of interest for this research paper is that of Chizuo Matsumoto, aka Asahara Shoko, and the Japanese doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo. The reason behind the choosing of this particular group is to provide commentary to that

The first reading for this week was a chapter out of a book about international legal subjects. International legal subjects include things like insurgents, national liberation movements, international organizations, and individuals (Cassese, 124). States have not been happy when insurgents try to enter their territory. Insurgents are rebels and they feel as if they are dangerous. Insurgents are state like and they have many characteristics that states have. They do not have as many rights are states does and their duties are limited.