Counterinsurgency Theoretical and Practical Principles

Abstract

This thesis argues that "coercive" counterinsurgency (COIN) has played a larger role historically than is currently recognized in today's FM 3-24 doctrine, which reflects the popular view of COIN as emphasizing protection of the population. The extent to which the essence of COIN has been misunderstood and misinterpreted, undermining the coercive "gold standard" is a central concern. While there has been some recognition of the utility of coercive action against insurgents, ethical concerns about proportionality and the indiscriminate use of force have imposed constraints. Where the "gold standard" represents deliberate, strict coercion against the population, FM 3-24 emphasizes a far more limited coercive approach, one that may be to the detriment of COIN operations as understood in historical perspective.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 2012
Accession Number
ADA567706

Entities

People

  • Nick M. Masellis

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Cyber
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Civil Rights
  • Combat Operations
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Employment
  • Families (Human)
  • Geography
  • Governments
  • Human Rights
  • Information Operations
  • Intelligence Collection
  • International Organizations
  • Military Applications
  • Military History
  • National Security
  • Organizational Structure
  • Teamwork
  • Warfare

Readers

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