United States Future Involvement in Insurgency: No Simple Model
Abstract
The United States has lived with a frustration of dealing with insurgent warfare during the cold war. While the focus on the enemy was simple, we never did very well in uncomfortable little wars. When it appeared the Soviets or their surrogates were involved, we weighed in against them and at least showed our resolve. The search for 'the new world order' makes it not so simple now. It would be nice to have an uncomplicated model to signal when insurgents were about to win so we could save the day. However, in today's world such a model misses the point. A holistic approach to U.S. involvement is presented that includes in the framework national interests, strategy, policy, and a set of criteria that ask whether we should be involved at all. A refocusing of our bureaucratic institutions is also necessary to insure an environment that fosters a unity of effort in preventing insurgencies hat threaten our national interests. Both a pragmatic and a more radical change to our bureaucratic structures as possible solutions at the national and regional level are presented.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 20, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA249778
Entities
People
- Richard L. Rutledge
Organizations
- United States Army War College