Counterinsurgency

Title: Counterinsurgency
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Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Counterinsurgency PAGEREF _Toc288379372 \h 3The Philippine insurrection PAGEREF _Toc288379373 \h 4Cuban Counterinsurgency PAGEREF _Toc288379374 \h 4A.The policy of attraction PAGEREF _Toc288379375 \h 4a)Intelligence drives operations PAGEREF _Toc288379376 \h 4b)Financial support PAGEREF _Toc288379377 \h 5c)Transfer of power from the insurgents to the local populace PAGEREF _Toc288379378 \h 5B.Unity of effort is key PAGEREF _Toc288379379 \h 6a)Senates support PAGEREF _Toc288379380 \h 7b)Unity between locals and Americans PAGEREF _Toc288379382 \h 7c)General Chang Ting-chen of Mao Zedong`s committee PAGEREF _Toc288379384 \h 7C) Counterinsurgents must understand the Environment PAGEREF _Toc288379386 \h 7D) Insurgents Must be Isolated from Their Cause and Support PAGEREF _Toc288379387 \h 8a)Delinking insurgents form their source of weapons. PAGEREF _Toc288379388 \h 8b)Delinking funding PAGEREF _Toc288379390 \h 9Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc288379392 \h 9References PAGEREF _Toc288379393 \h 10
Counterinsurgency
Counterinsurgency and insurgency are complex warfare subsets. Urbanization, technological advancement, globalization and extremists who commit suicide attacks for their own cause have influenced contemporary divergence. However, conflict in the 21st century is not any different for the characteristics it exhibited in ancient. Insurgency and also it tactics are as old at the warfare itself. According to joint doctrine, insurgency is a movement organized and seeking to topple a constitutional government by using armed violence and subversion. In a nutshell, it is an organized and protracted politico-military war that is aimed at weakening the legitimacy and control of a government thus taking over power and propagating their control. Counterinsurgency is a paramilitary, military, psychological, economical, civic and political actions which are taken by an incumbent government to defeat insurgency.
Throughout history, the US has employed the policy of chastisement in defeating insurgents and also the policy of attraction so as to win the loyalty of the local populace. They have always been changing tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP) so as to win over the dynamic enemy. It has in many cases issued out food and water, rebuild infrastructure and even provide public services so as no only to win over the local populace`s loyalty but also show that US is there in good faith.
Most conflicts have good and bad results. The Cuban counterinsurgency and Philippine insurrection were overally successful because of the use the policies of attraction and chastisement. Was is a worthy course for to sacrifice US soldiers lives so as to aid Cuba gain its independence? The US Military was able to beat the less equipped Philippine and army. What was their success in defeating them and compelling them adhere to US policies? These are the sixty thousand dollar questions of the two insurgencies. One may ask in both these cases did the outcome justify the means. These conflicts like many others had many opposition and many lives were lost, however, the measure of their success can be known by looking at the long-term effects of them.
The Philippine insurrection
The Americans easily defeated the Filipinos due to their sound military skills and machinery. They were better trained, equipped and even stronger than the rebel Filipinos. Besides the support they got from the US people and senate made the US exert more control against these insurgents. Americans also gained the support and loyalty of the local populace. They effectively did this by employing the practice of chastisement.
Cuban Counterinsurgency
The US entry into this war was when 265 sailors were killed in Maine for the state of Cuba to gain its independence. Just like before, after winning against the Spain, they had to employ the chastisement and attraction policy as a way of gaining the support of the local population. The better5 training of the US military should also not be overlooked in all these cases.
* The policy of attraction
To win over the insurgents, US military have extensively used this policy. Politics is the prime issue in counterinsurgencies. In this each side, both the insurgents and the government, aims at getting people to accept its authority as the legitimate one. The insurgents use all tools available such as information (religious, ideological ideas among others), political, economic and even military so as to topple existing government. Counterinsurgents on the contrary use all tools of national power to reduce the probability of a crisis and remain in power. This is what the US employs in the Philippines and Cuba.
* Intelligence drives operations
Without good and sound intelligence, the counterinsurgents are more or less like blind boxers who are wasting their energy flailing at unseen rivals and perhaps causing unintentional harm. With sound intelligence, counterinsurgents are synonymous to surgeons treating cancerous tissue whilst keeping other important organs intact. Effective and successful COIN operations are specific, timely and full of reliable intelligence which are gathered and analyzed at a low level and disseminated to the entire force. The US in Philippine knew that through providing security to the local populace from the Insurgents, and then they would be in a position to provide valuable intelligence to the US military.
* Financial support
To win over the loyalty of the local populace, American forces had to marshal funds to the economy. This took place in 1900 in Cuba where America spent $100000 on school supplies and a thousand schools were opened. They also financed and managed the post violence election. This demonstrated that US had good intentions and that they ...