Contemporary, NON-western insurgency/COIN literature or manuals

[c_warner]

Hello to the community,

I am looking for online resources or in-print titles pertaining to contemporary, NON-western insurgency/COIN literature or manuals. In emphasizing the NON-western aspect of this inquiry, I mean bodies of work that may have been, for example, developed in the M.E. or Central Asia and not within western professional communities. The works can be published in either Arabic or English. This request is intentionally broad as I do not want to limit any responses or suggestions that may not fit within more specific parameters. Thanks for your time and I look forward to any responses.

Best,

Charlie

[SJPONeill]

Hi Charlie

I came across this reference to a publication on Japanese COIN during WW2 (http://www.quikmaneuvers.com/japanese_counterinsurgency-ww2.html) while I was writing up my thoughts on the FM 3-24 rewrite (http://wp.me/pBQbN-HZ)...not sure if it the type of thing that you are after and I know nothing more about the publication that what you see on the site...

You've piqued my interest in this area with your questiuon and I will make further inquiries through my networks...what sort of time frame are you working on? Are you interesting in only the narrow definition of COIN a la FM 3-24 et al or publications covering what might more broadly be considered irregular warfare?

Simon

[c_warner]

Thank you Simon for your reply and interest...

As of now, my time frame for this project runs toward the end of August but that is not a firm deadline right now.

As for the sources, I am interested in COIN material similar to FM 3-24 as well as more broad sources that may inform about irregular warfare techniques. I'm trying to look at COIN methodology and theory from the opposite perspective coming from the mountain literature recently developed over the past decade in western professional communities. I would be especially interest in, for example, Iranian articles or "monograph" equivalent concerning their mindset on insurgency/COIN.

Thanks again...looking forward to seeing what you might come up with. I will certainly examine the WW II analysis you included here.

[davidbfpo]

C_Warner posted:
I would be especially interest in, for example, Iranian articles or "monograph" equivalent concerning their mindset on insurgency/COIN.

The Iranians have to my limited knowledge fought insurgencies three times; in Kurdistan, although this was mainly a conventional war; against Arab speakers in the south-east (which led to an incident in London long ago) and as part of a coalition in Dhofar Province, Oman - with a brigade helping.

I have read a few books on the Oman, but they concentrate on the Anglo-Omani aspects. Might there be sources not in English, or even in Oman?

[Steve Blair]

Hi Charlie

I came across this reference to a publication on Japanese COIN during WW2 (http://www.quikmaneuvers.com/japanese_counterinsurgency-ww2.html) while I was writing up my thoughts on the FM 3-24 rewrite (http://wp.me/pBQbN-HZ)...not sure if it the type of thing that you are after and I know nothing more about the publication that what you see on the site...

You've piqued my interest in this area with your questiuon and I will make further inquiries through my networks...what sort of time frame are you working on? Are you interesting in only the narrow definition of COIN a la FM 3-24 et al or publications covering what might more broadly be considered irregular warfare?

Simon

That site is...interesting.

[Fuchs]

Yeah, I've yet to find a guinea pig for testing one "book" there.
The sheer quantity is unbelievable/suspicious.

I've been in contact IIRC two years ago with someone who's somehow involved there, my impression was that he was a semi-reasonable guy.

[carl]

This may be superfluous but David Kilcullen did a lot of study of Indonesian small wars. Maybe he would have some things.

[ganulv]

It is not a manual, but chapter six of Fred Gleach's book (http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/product/Powhatans-World-and-Colonial-Virginia,673609.aspx) -- a historical reconstruction of what the Powhatan conceived of themselves as doing in the 1622 coup de main in which they killed roughly a third of the European settlers in colonial Virginia -- is relevant to the topic.

[c_warner]

Yes, the "About Us" section was very "interesting" as well.

[c_warner]

C_Warner posted:

The Iranians have to my limited knowledge fought insurgencies three times; in Kurdistan, although this was mainly a conventional war; against Arab speakers in the south-east (which led to an incident in London long ago) and as part of a coalition in Dhofar Province, Oman - with a brigade helping.

I have read a few books on the Oman, but they concentrate on the Anglo-Omani aspects. Might there be sources not in English, or even in Oman?

I would agree with your outline of Iranian COIN efforts - was hoping to find any documents or AARs that might have stemmed from some of those actions. In Persian or English.

Can you be more specific about the "Anglo-Omani" aspects of the books concerning Oman? Thanks for your interest.

[davidbfpo]

C-Warner asked:
Can you be more specific about the "Anglo-Omani" aspects of the books concerning Oman? Thanks for your interest.

The focus of the books and articles seen has been on the Dhofar campaign being a truly 'Small War', in an Arab, Muslim country with a long history of British involvement and with British officers in command.

I can only put my hand on one book now, 'SAS Operation Oman by Tony Jeapes, pub. 1980, which has nine references to the Iranians - nothing on any separate Iranian COIN approach, they were under Oman's command exercised by British officers.

One of the British commanders John Akehurst wrote a book 'We Won a War', pub. 1982 and one RUSI Journal reviewer noted:
The book is kind to the Iranian forces, whose contribution was of great importance. But their operational shortcomings are not concealed..

The last published book I've noted was 'In the Service of the Sultan: A First Hand Account of the Dhofar Insurgency', pub. 2006, by a then young British officer, Ian Gardiner; it had good reviews in RUSI Journal, but I have not read it.

[SJPONeill]

Found this in my library while looking for something else (ain't it always the way?)

Artillery and counterinsurgency - the Soviet experience in Afghanistan (http://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=artillery%20and%20counterinsurgancy%20the%20sovi et%20experience%20in%20afghanistan%20grau&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffmso.leavenworth.army.mil%2Fdocum ents%2Farty%2Farty.htm&ei=XsWZT7bLMYeTiAeOtPSQBg&usg=AFQjCNE4c6aGFfb3-N5viI7pLBiFL6CD-Q)

[davidbfpo]

Thanks to the Kiwi.

There is a thread on the Soviet experience in Afghanistan, no manuals IIRC, but plenty of help:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/showthread.php?t=9483

[SJPONeill]

http://www.cavr-timorleste.org/chegaFiles/finalReportEng/

This one might provide some insights into the philosophies employed by Indonesia during its occupation of Eats Timor 1976-99, although it is written from the perspective of the local population...

[c_warner]

Thanks to everyone for the input...it has generated some fresh material for me to look into. The Soviet experiences look particularly interesting.

[jcustis]

I'd look no further than Sri Lanka, although it is argued that the fight against the LTTE was less about classical COIN and more about unrestricted counterinsurgent business (the third link down is important to note and review). Although these are less the literature you may be looking for and more news pieces, hopefully it generates leads for further research:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09592318.2011.581490#preview

http://stupidest.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/sri-lanka-war-against-insurgents-not-counterinsurgency/

http://www.futuredirections.org.au/files/1266992558-FDIStrategicAnalysisPaper-12February2010.pdf

http://harvardnsj.org/2011/06/think-like-a-guerilla-counterinsurgency-lessons-from-sri-lanka/

http://www.idsa.in/event/SriLankaStrategicCounterTerrorismExperience

http://news.rediff.com/column/2010/jun/21/sri-lanka-changed-the-rules-in-counter-insurgency-operations.htm

http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=ltte

http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=ltte


Now that the LTTE has been comprehensively defeated, how would you put it in the context of the Tamil ethnic struggle?

The struggle for Tamil equality and justice for Tamils did not start with the LTTE and will not end with LTTE. I am not saying that the LTTE has come to an end. But the Sri Lankan government claims to have dealt a comprehensive military defeat.

If indeed their top leadership has been killed that will be a major setback for the LTTE. The struggle for equality and justice of the Tamil-speaking people is very legitimate and has existed even before the LTTE came.

The Sri Lankan situation needs to be put in the right context of the cost of such a "victory" in order to glean relevant knowledge..

[Jedburgh]

I am in possession of a 3 volume set of pamphlets (in Arabic) published by Fatah between 1980 and 1983 on military tactics and operations, with a heavy focus on insurgency. However, there's really nothing new to be found in 'em, as the content is built around well-known and widely published leftist insurgency theory from that late Cold War period.

[wm]

Not sure that they count as either contemporary or non-Western accounts, but Deneys Reitz wrote some memoirs of his experiences as a member of the losing side in the Boer War, as did Paul Viljoen--available on Amazon. Besides one might not consider the Boers to have been practicing insurgency.

[c_warner]

I am in possession of a 3 volume set of pamphlets (in Arabic) published by Fatah between 1980 and 1983 on military tactics and operations, with a heavy focus on insurgency. However, there's really nothing new to be found in 'em, as the content is built around well-known and widely published leftist insurgency theory from that late Cold War period.

You wouldn't happen to have digital copies that you could pass along to me? Primary sources such as these are especially interesting to me. Thanks for your interest as well.

[Jedburgh]

You wouldn't happen to have digital copies that you could pass along to me? Primary sources such as these are especially interesting to me. Thanks for your interest as well.
Unfortunately, I don't. I probably should scan the things, though. If I get it done anytime soon, I'll let you know.