Security & Defence

Limited War – a cure for Counter-Insurgency ?

Posted by Andrew on Jun 9, 2013 in Security & Defence | 0 comments

But if we didn’t do counter-insurgency, what would we do? COIN is not limited war. It is unlimited war by limited means ‘Unwanted, un-winnable and un-American’[1], limited war theory is today resiled by the very Western militaries who gave birth to it. Despite being waged successfully by many nations out of necessity and strategic choice, the question remains whether successful limited war is possible—a question both prospective and retrospective. Successful limited war is not only possible, it also presents an alternative to the current trend towards unlimited counter-insurgency (COIN). But like all military strategies, there are a few rules that...