David Kilcullen

A counterinsurgency advisor to General David Petraeus and the author of The Accidental Guerrilla collects his best writings on counterinsurgency and the global war on terror, including his "Twenty-Eight Articles," his 10-point plan for "the Surge" in Iraq, his frank assessment of the challenges in Afghanistan and much more. Original.

Counterinsurgency

Kilcullen's book is deeply problematic, but also a mirror image of imperialist foreign policy. His (and the US/NATO/EU's) approach to "counterinsurgency" is rooted in a conservative, militaristic worldview that prioritizes the use of force and the suppression of any dissent. His ideas are based on flawed assumptions about who the "insurgents" are, but also of the efficacy of military intervention and the ability of foreign powers to impose their will on other nations.

Kilcullen's emphasis on "winning hearts and minds" is particularly troubling, as it is often used as a justification for imperialism and the suppression of local resistance movements. His strategies for counterinsurgency are often geared towards protecting the interests of Western powers (money).

Overall, I found "Counterinsurgency" to be a deeply flawed and troubling book, but to be treated as a manual of the methods and arguments colonialist "peacekeepers" use to subjugate and harm. We're supposed to trust them while he emphasises we definitely shouldn't trust Afghan children because they're "resourceful" and "explosive".

Had to stop a few times with long gaps between reading sessions because it's such a disgusting book, especially because it's true.

Counterinsurgency

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