Fight and Learn or Learn and Fight: The Second Intifada Lessons
Abstract
Nowadays, fourth generation warfare cannot be ignored; most conflicts are urban and asymmetrical. When facing a well-organized and equipped army, a weaker opponent, such as a guerrilla paramilitary force, can achieve success by utilizing terrorism and unconventional operations. The second Intifada, known as the Intifada Al Aqsa, which began in 2000, is a perfect example of the lessons learned by Tsahal, the Israeli army, in combating such guerrillas. Although the Intifada occurs in a highly complex and specific political context, it is still an extraordinarily valuable source of strategy and tactics for other armies. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) represent one of the most experienced forces with regard to urban combat and subversive warfare. Facing a similar terrorist enemy as U.S. troops in Iraq, the IDF have recently improved their organization, their training, their combination of arms, their intelligence culture, and their principles of action to adapt themselves to this asymmetrical threat. The U.S. forces tangled up in Iraq, particularly the U.S. Army and U.S. Marines, should take advantage of this experience and learn how to apply some of the IDF's strategies and tactics in that war.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 08, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA506384
Entities
People
- Jean-jerome Solignac
Organizations
- Marine Corps University