Counter Guerrilla Based Strategies - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1927 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Since the end of the Second World War in 1945, there have been 39 asymmetric or insurgency based conflicts around the world, four of which are ongoing today. In most of these cases, the insurgents have been victorious over a western or local power. During counterinsurgency operations, there are usually two groups which the factors leading to western counterinsurgency operation failure, these are, political or military reasons. This essay will firstly look at the difference between the terms insurgency and guerrilla. Secondly, look at two main counterinsurgency tactics and why for western nation especially, they are hard to counter. Thirdly, look at three other factors that are unique to western nations, that also make it hard to counter guerrilla based strategies. According to Field Manual 3-24, the US Joint Publication on Counterinsurgency Operations, insurgency â€Å"is an internal threat that uses subversion and violence to reach political ends. Conversely, counter insurgents seek to defeat insurgents and address core grievances to prevent insurgencys expansion or regeneration. Typically the insurgents will solicit or be offered some type of support from state or non-state actors, which can include transnational terrorists who take advantage of the situation for their own benefit.† Whereas, guerrilla warfare is â€Å"small groups of combatants using military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and less-mobile traditional army, or strike a vulnerable target, and withdraw almost immediately.† So in short, insurgency is the overall movement or struggle that the group is following, and guerrilla warfare is the tactics that they are using to accomplish their aims. The first of these tactics and the most important is hearts and minds. This is the tactic used to win over the hearts and minds of the local population, hence the name. For counterinsurgency to even have a chance at being successful this must be the first goal of both the nations government and more increasingly over the latter part of the twentieth century, any nation intervening in that country. Whilst it can be said that the government will have the support of the people once the conflicts is over for protecting them, it is vital to have the local populations hearts and minds for western countries to operate so that they have a willing population to assist them. The Vietnam War exhibited this when for most; the US did have the support of the South Vietnamese locals it was easier for them, but found it almost impossible when they did not. However, ‘hearts and minds of the locals are incredibly volatile and the actions of the counterinsurgents may at times lose them the hearts and minds battle. This is a double-edged sword. As Bart Schuurman stated in his article,   â€Å"Although FM 3-24 rightly recognises the risk of soldiers using too much force in c onflicts where gaining public support is tantamount to victory, there is also a danger that too strong an emphasis on ‘hearts and minds will impede on military effectiveness.† Therefore, the military must find that happy medium to ensure that that the locals safety is maintained, but also that the military objectives are also being completed. Explained in FM 3-24, the legitimacy of both the government and any assisting nations, if applicable is paramount as â€Å"The primary objective of any COIN [Counterinsurgency] operation is to foster development of effective governance by a legitimate government. Counterinsurgents achieve this objective by undertaking appropriate actions and striving for a balanced application of both military and non-military means as dictated by the situation.† Thus, the ability to retain the support of the local population is necessary to ensure the ultimate goal of the operation succeeds. There are two conflicts after the Vietnam War where ‘hearts and minds was first used that have shown that if a western power contradicts this, failure overall is more likely, if not, it is severely harder to achieve success, these being the conflict in Somali and then in Afghanistan, both by the US. In Somalia, it was the objective of the US to kill or capture the warlord, Mohammad Aidid rather than to secure Mogadishu and the win over the local population. Their efforts to kill Aidid left a trail of destruction and casualties, both civilian and insurgents, thus losing all support of the local population, not only for the US, but also for the entire UN operation, even though they were not acting on behalf of the UN. The second conflict is the 2001 ‘war on terror, specifically in Afghanistan, which is still ongoing. Though the failure win over the ‘hearts and minds of the locals is not the absolute case here, it has led the conflict to last for almost a decade so far. The oversight this time is again similar t o that of Somalia, the policy of the US is counter-terrorism, and the NATO policy is to rebuild Afghanistan into a functioning state. These two policies contradict each other and thus the mandate of the US is to seek and destroy, like in Somalia, and the mandate of NATO is to rebuild the state of Afghanistan. Though this has not led to failure in the attempts, it has led to a drawn out conflict. So the need for a nation, western or not to gain the ‘hearts and minds of the local population is integral to the success of the counterinsurgency operation, without it, it is almost impossible to succeed. The second main tactic that western nations use for counterinsurgency is population control. This is because insurgents rely upon their ability to blend in with the local population allowing them to move freely and conduct their operations easily. Along with this, many also rely upon the local population for both food and water and recruits. Therefore, the ultimate goal of populat ion control is to isolate the insurgents from the local population. There two usual methods of conducting this, the first of these is to move a force into the insurgent controlled area and push out the insurgents, without harming innocent civilians and maintaining the ‘hearts and minds approach. Once achieved, measures of control need to ensure that the insurgents are restricted from returning, so control of the area is required. The second is the physical control of the local population to prevent access to the insurgents; however, this contradicts the ‘hearts and minds approach so is used rarely. Australian forces used the latter of the two during the Malayan Emergency (1948-1960), with success. It was a requirement for all to carry an ID card that had both their fingerprint and photo on it. This led to the communists abandoning their original plan and then to continual fights with each other over how to counter this method of population control. â€Å"movement contro l, widespread interrogations and censuses† have also been utilised in the past with mixed results. It was David Gaula that commented on this, â€Å"while the population may resent some of these measures, they are necessary in order to protect the people, to gain their trust, and to discern the insurgents and their political agents.† It is only once the local population is free from insurgents can the ‘hearts and minds approach work to its full potential. There are three factors; among others that do not relate specifically to a certain tactic, but do have a bearing on the success of counterinsurgency operations by western nations. The first of these factors that leads to the recurring failure in is the use of technology. Western nations are countless times more powerful and wealthy compared to the insurgent force and yet the insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan now are â€Å"often armed with little more than Kalashnikovs, simple RPGs, and relatively unsophistica ted homemade explosives† are able to withstand the western nations operations against them. According to Jeffery Record, a nations â€Å"infatuation with the perfection of military means can cause the user to ignore the political purpose on behalf of which those means are being employed.† So applying this to the western nations, through the perfection of military mean, this being tactics and weapons, they lose track of the reasons why they are there and this leads to a breakdown of structure and a target for the insurgents to attack a ‘hearts and minds campaign. The second factor is the western nations politicians. Firstly that many of them lack the knowledge or experience of how the military works and this according to Todd Sechser,†has led to an increase in the support for armed intervention to solve insurgency in whatever from.† Secondly, the politicians believe in the body bag syndrome, that being that the citizens of the western nation will not accept great numbers of casualties in a conflict that they have nothing at stake in or that they understand and believe in. These two situations cause the politicians at first to favour military intervention, but once it has started, they refuse to accept the number of casualties because they fear that the public will not re-elect them because they supported this conflict that cost so many lives. The third factor is the training and doctrine of the western nations themselves. Since the end of the Second World War, warfare has shifted from conventional to asymmetric warfare, but the western nations have not shifted their doctrine. â€Å"A prominent criticism of western armed forces is that they have been trained, structured, and equipped to the obsolete concept of large-scale conventional warfare† which has resulted in two failures for western nations. Firstly for some, the deterrent of nuclear weapons does not work as there is no application for the use of nuclear weapons that can ensure that only insurgents are killed, this is the same with high explosive conventional weapons and even laser guided bombs, there is no way in killing only insurgents. So consequently, troops on the ground have to deal with insurgents that are near local populations so that collateral damage does not harm the work done by the ‘hearts and minds approach leading to a greater risk on soldiers lives. Post 1945, the spectrum of warfare has shifted from conventional wars to asymmetric conflicts usually with in another country by insurgents using guerrilla tactics. Insurgency is a growing movement and the guerrilla tactics of, raids, explosives, sabotage and ambushes among others are growing in effectiveness against western nations intervening in these conflicts. As such, there have been 39 insurgency-based conflicts in this period and over half of the western power has been defeated even with a clear superiority of the insurgents. This is because of a number of reaso ns, firstly, to gain the support of the local population, the counterinsurgents have to either take a ‘hearts and minds in order to discover locate the insurgents through assistance from the local population, or use population control to discover the identity of the insurgents by placing restrictions on the local population. These are just two tactics that western nation can use to fight insurgents. These do not work effectively as is liked most of the time, for any action that the local populations perceive as wrong, affects all the work that the counterinsurgents have made regardless of whether the actions was for the protection of the locals. There are also the political and other factors that indirectly lead to the failures as well. These include, the western nations obsession with technology and always having the best, regardless if they can use it or not. As well as how the politicians perceive the military and how the politicians expect the military to conduct the count erinsurgency operation and finally how conventional warfare doctrine and training is used. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Counter Guerrilla Based Strategies" essay for you Create order

Diversity, Community, And Social Justice Reflection

Diversity, Community, Social Justice Reflection Essay As an active member of the LGBTQIA+ community at DePaul and at home, I know quite a few trans* people, or at least more than most, and the one thing I am most concerned about is being a good ally. I’m embarrassed to say that only since arriving at DePaul I’ve begun to look more into how any of my words or actions may come across as hurtful or as microaggressions. I’ve had issues with my gender identity in the past, primarily because the concepts of masculinity and femininity are so antiquated and subjective, but I truly have no way of understanding the depth of oppression that people of the trans* community experience. The expression of my gender is fairly inconsistent and many people have labeled me androgynous and I have considered agender (someone whom identifies as being without gender) but I’m fairly comfortable (not perfectly) with my current identification. So everything from gender misidentific ation and discrimination due to the fact that I no longer repress myself by dressing and presenting myself in an overly feminine way has led to some really crappy stuff. Regardless, I have had so many benefits and rights granted to me simply because of my cisgender status to the point where it made it difficult for me in the past to see them. People usually use my correct pronouns without asking, I have bathrooms available to me, going to get medical help isn’t a production in which I have to be concerned aboutShow MoreRelatedThe Community Organizing Self Reflection Essay1365 Words   |  6 PagesCommunity Organizing Self-Reflection Experiences My interest in community organizing and building began with the passion and knowledge for the well-being of others my father instilled in my life. My father was the late Chief Elmer Manatowa Jr of the Sac and Fox Nation, Native Tribe of Oklahoma. I have been an active Governing Council member (all adult members) of my Tribe for many years. I landed my first real job, Planning Department secretary, after taking a business course at the local technicalRead MoreMemersion Reflection Analysis1593 Words   |  7 PagesNext, I learned that there are tons of community resources available to support people in need and to protect human rights. I chose to visit two immersions to learn more about the services that they each provide to the public. The most memorable immersion experience was the Domestic Violence Center located in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The services provided by this organization to victims of domestic violence are impressive. The second immersion was at the Food Bank o f Delaware. It was greatRead MoreLeadership Case Study879 Words   |  4 PagesPlatform of Beliefs As a curriculum leader who advocates for social justice, I must be aware and conscious of my perspectives, views, and biases to discuss issues on gender, race, class, sexual orientation and other social groups within my classroom (Milner, 2007). However, it will be difficult to emancipate my students if I am not emancipated (West, 1993). To begin my emancipation (1993), I reflect on my life experiences that have led me to my role as a curriculum leader so that I begin the processRead MoreCritical Reflection On Self And, And Challenging External Power Structures804 Words   |  4 Pagesinterests that potentially harm service users (Bloom, 2006). Through critical reflection we have a better understanding of power relationships, which makes us mindful of not perpetuating people’s experiences of oppression in our working relationships with them. Deconstruction highlighted how implicit construction of power is disenabling and easily subscribed to as the dominant discourse. Critical reflection allows social workers to silently asking oneself as observing oneself in practice questionsRead MoreHow Does Critical Thinking And Ethics Affect Your Decisions Essay1242 Words   |  5 PagesHow Does Critical Thinking and Ethics Affect Your Decisions Introduction Critical thinking and ethics go hand and hand with the responsibly of one’s professional and social interactions. Critical thinking is a six step process one takes when making a decision and/or is given a new idea or concept. Ethics, while it is different for each individual it is the morals of right and wrong. Unconsciously when an individual makes a decision, their ethics and critical thinking processes are what guide themRead MoreI Am A ----Year Old Christian Woman. I Come From Pakistan1256 Words   |  6 Pagesbookish stuff and be more creative. Poetry has always been a passion with me and using theology as the main lenses to investigate the nature of things, another. By now, having participated in different events at the Chicagoland, I am intrigued by the diversity of cultures that exists around me. Especially, the fascinating reality is about being surrounded by the different Northwestern schools and people of all different professions. God has given me the courage and the chance to get to know people fromRead MoreKing s Letter From Birmingham Jail1267 Words   |  6 PagesDo you have the heart to tell your daughter she s limited to live because of her race? Segregation is the lack of diversity or also known as the action or state of setting someone or something apart from other people or things. Martin Luther King Jr. is well known for his acts against segregation during the civil rights movement. In this Letter from Birmingham Jail, King discusses the inequalities and prejudice forced upon African Americans. This gr eat injustice leads to protest which ar leadRead MoreKing s Letter From Birmingham Jail1253 Words   |  6 PagesDo you have the heart to tell your daughter she has a limited life because of her race? Segregation is the lack of diversity or also known as the action or state of setting someone or something apart from other people or things. Martin Luther King Jr. is well known for his acts against segregation during the civil rights movement. By this Letter from Birmingham Jail, King discusses the inequalities and prejudice forced upon African Americans. This great injustice leads to protest, which are ledRead MoreDiversity Is The Human Race886 Words   |  4 PagesDIVERSITY PAPER Gay. Straight. Black. White. Male. Female. Wealthy. Poor. Modern society has systematically sorted the human race into collections and communities of descriptive factors. Deeply embedded within a systematical labeling system, diversity has fell victim to the harmful segregation and prejudice of the past. Diversity is not about the inferior nor the morally corrupt. Diversity is not the hallow substance of labels. Diversity is culture, pride, and heritage. To rural South Dakotans,Read MoreEssay On Mary Washinga1630 Words   |  7 PagesVision for the University of Mary Washington. The purpose of the survey was to gather student feedback about Goal 1: Promoting the values of service and social justice, Goal 2: Reconstituting the liberal arts for the digital age, Goal 3: Immersing our students in applied, impactful learning experiences, Goal 4: Creating a diverse and inclusive community as an essential requirement for academic excellence and academic success, and the actions steps supporting each goal. The survey was conducted by means

The Things They Carried Essay Example For Students

The Things They Carried Essay In Tim O Brien s The Things They Carried detailed description and realism were used to capture the audience and draw them into the actual events in the story, allowing them to feel the burden of emotional and physical weight on the characters, who were fighting to preserve their sanity and lives. The vivid detail and realistic narration were only tools used by the author to prepare a story that goes beyond the war in Vietnam, focusing on the other things that soldiers carried – inner thoughts, feelings, and emotions. The story was brought to life by the realistic but disjointed narration of the author, illustrated by returning to the death of Ted Lavender throughout the story. Someone who had actually experienced similar events could only write the story with such detail. The repetitive narration describing the accumulation of things they carried eventually had meaning. This was the way their lives had become, step by step, ounce by ounce. The repetition reached a climax when the author revealed the heaviest of all the things they carried, They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die (paragraph 77). The main characters in the story were First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and Martha, a college student who wrote to him. The story flowed from beginning to end, characterizing the changes in Jimmy Cross as he dealt with his emotions as well as the responsibility to the men in his platoon. In the beginning of the story he was depicted as a boyish leader with dreams of Martha being his escape from the senseless reality of the war. When one of his men was killed he accepted the responsibility and guilt, which changed him into the leader he thought he should have been forgetting Martha and protecting his men. This plot linked together all the actions and events that happened in the story. Tim O Brien used third-person point of view to tell the story. The omniscient angle of vision enabled him to reveal the thoughts and actions of all the characters. He graphically illustrated this when describing the freedom birds they dreamed about, taking them away while on guard at night (paragraph 81). There were many similar examples throughout the story. The main idea of the story was well defined by literary critic Joanne McCarthy when she wrote, Pranksters must become killers, dreamers must become realists or someone dies (McCarthy par. ). The soldiers in the story were barely into manhood and faced the reality of death every day. They would have to kill, or be killed. Their dreams gave them a way of escape from the war, but they had to live in the real world to survive. The Things They Carried contained all the elements of a work of fiction to justify calling it a story. There was special emphasis on detailed description and realistic narration a result of the author s own experiences. It was a story about the human spirit under extreme psychological pressure at an age when life was just beginning, and how each soldier dealt with the circumstances.

James Dean free essay sample

A look at the public and personal lives of James Dean and how his popularity spread following the movie Rebel without a Cause. This paper introduces and discusses James Dean, both his real life, and how it related to his role in the movie Rebel without a Cause. It relates the themes of youth violence, and parent/youth relationships between James Dean and his personal life and the movie and real life in the 1950s. James Dean was one of the most popular stars of the 1950s. Ironically, he only made three films before he died, but they were all popular at the box office, and increased his popularity with his fans. The film he is most remembered for is Rebel without a Cause, released in 1955, after he was killed in a car accident. Dean has always embodied the bad boy, and Rebel without a Cause did nothing to dispel the legend. We will write a custom essay sample on James Dean or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Dean lived fast, drove fast, rose quickly in his career, and burned out much too early.