COIN in a Test Tube: Analyzing the Success of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands
On July 24, 2003, a joint, multinational, interagency force landed in the Solomon Islands at the request of that nation’s prime minister. Its intent was to “reinforce and uphold the legitimate institutions and authorities in the Solomon Islands, and to ensure respect for the country’s constitution and implementation of its laws.” The call for help came after years of turmoil during which the legitimacy and effectiveness of the Solomon Islands government had been undermined by social strife, corruption, intimidation, and armed groups acting with no regard for the law. Within weeks, the worst of the problems had been suppressed and national rebuilding began. This analysis considers why the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) succeeded in its first weeks, months, and years, and what lessons of value its operations might offer to counterinsurgency (COIN) and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere....
Contents

Chapter One: Background and Brief History of Operation Helpem Fren, the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI)

Chapter Two: Considering the Nature of Insurgency and Counterinsurgency

Chapter Three: July 2003 Solomon Islands as an Insurgency: Participant Perspectives

Chapter Four: Successful COIN: Three Crucial Conditions

Chapter Five: RAMSI: Was It a Counterinsurgency?

Chapter Six: Fitting the RAMSI Square Peg into the World’s Round Holes