Flipping the COIN and Winning: Lessons from Colombia
Abstract
In the late 1990s, Colombia appeared destined for utter collapse. Facing a possible narco-terrorist state releasing a torrent of illegal drugs, the United States supported Plan Colombia, a broad effort to bolster police and military Counter- Insurgency (COIN) efforts and reform Colombian governance. President Uribe, driving his Democratic Security program, helped dramatically reverse Colombia's downward trajectory in the eight years since Plan Colombia's inception. Joint, interagency, and combined efforts in Colombia reduced violence, improved the economy, and significantly diminished the size and capability of Colombia's various insurgent groups and paramilitaries. Successes against Colombia's well funded, long standing, committed insurgencies provide useful insights for US and coalition fighters in other theaters. The illicit drug trade remains resilient, despite a coordinated coalition effort to reduce production and trafficking. Lessons learned in Colombia highlight recommendations for other US COIN operations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA497536
Entities
People
- Joseph F. Hester Iii
Organizations
- United States Army War College