Defeat of LTTE: A Lesson in Coin Operations
Abstract
The US, today is engaged in fighting insurgency in Afghanistan and Iraq. The slow progress of these campaigns has renewed interest in exploring new perspectives in conducting the modern COIN operations and finding the vulnerabilities of a insurgent network. This paper is a case study of the factors contributing to the defeat of LTTE and success of Sri Lankan COIN campaign to derive applicable lessons for current and future conflicts. The sudden defeat of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam by the Sri Lankan armed forces took the world by surprise. Tamil Tigers, who were never expected to capitulate easily, went from the days of being counted as the deadliest of insurgent organization in the world to being virtually obliterated from existence within a matter of few months. A number of lessons can be derived from their defeat which can help in defining a new perspective for the US and rest of the world. This thesis will be written in two parts. The first part concentrates entirely on the Sri Lankan effort and deficiencies in LTTE strategy. The second part outlines the lessons learnt and compares them to the strategies advocated by Galula. Lastly this thesis analyzes the Indian Joint Forces doctrine on Sub-Conventional Operations and highlights the Indian focus in its age old campaign against insurgency in various parts of the country.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- AD1019061
Entities
People
- Tarun Hindwan
Organizations
- Air Command and Staff College