This book examines the implications of counterinsurgency warfare for U.S. defense policy and makes the compelling argument that the United States' default position on counterinsurgency wars should be to avoid them.
Given the unsatisfactory outcomes of the counterinsurgency (COIN) wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. military is now in a heated debate over whether wars involving COIN operations are worth fighting. This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of COIN through key historic episodes and concludes that the answer is an emphatic "no," based on a dominant record of U.S. military or political failure, and inconsistency in the reasons for the rare cases of success. The author also examines the implications of his findings for U.S. foreign policy, defense policy, and future weapons procurement.
- 200 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- 1 Introduction: Quagmire: The Usual Outcome of Counterinsurgency Warfare
- 2 When to Battle Insurgents
- 3 Classic COIN Strategy
- 4 COIN and Compromise
- 5 The Disadvantage of Foreign Occupiers
- 6 The Guerrilla Advantage
- 7 COIN Forces’ Advantages: Firepower, Numbers, and Technology
- 8 Time Favors the Insurgents
- 9 COIN Wars: The Political Aspects
- 10 The Guerrilla Win and External Support
- 11 The United States and Politically Dominated Wars
- 12 Prospects for Pending COIN Wars
- 13 U.S. Track Record on COIN: Implications for Forces and Weapons
- 14 The Domestic Effects of Overseas Counterinsurgency Wars
- Bibliography
- Index
- About the Author
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Yes, you can access The Failure of Counterinsurgency by Ivan Eland in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Military & Maritime History. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.