A Line in the Sand a Historical Study of Border Security During Insurgencies and Lessons for the Contemporary Afghan-Pakistan Frontier

Abstract

There is increasing consensus amongst those nations engaged in the stabilisation and reconstruction of Afghanistan that Taliban sanctuaries in the ungoverned border regions of Pakistan are central to the insurgency in both countries. Two individual or complementary means of countering this problem include the denial of sanctuary in Pakistan and improving border security between the two countries. This paper examines the border security measures used in three historical insurgencies: Algeria (1954-62), Dhofar (1968-75) and Rhodesia (1965-80). The study applies the methods and lessons from these historical examples to the contemporary Afghan-Pakistan border. Using this framework, the author attempts to support the thesis that traditional methods of border security, even with the use of modern technology, are not applicable to the Afghan-Pakistan border. Furthermore, attempts at obtaining such control would prove counterproductive to this counterinsurgency. The analysis focuses on physical barriers, population resettlement, external action, tribal or auxiliary forces and in-depth interdiction. The study finds that barriers and population resettlement are impractical for use in Afghanistan and likely to result in adverse consequences at the strategic level. The other measures have varying degrees of utility and applicability. The author concludes that a high degree of border control is unachievable along the Afghan-Pakistan border and suggests that border security should remain an economy of effort within the overall campaign. If these findings are accepted, it implies that the U.S. led Coalition should resist calls to concentrate on the border and, instead, strengthen security in the interior of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 03, 2009
Accession Number
ADA530096

Entities

People

  • Dan Storr

Organizations

  • National Defense University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Anti-Personnel Mines
  • Attrition
  • Border Security
  • Department Of Defense
  • Employment
  • Geography
  • Insurgency
  • Land Mines
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Security
  • Surveillance
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Sociology

Readers

  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.
  • Systems Analysis and Design