Quote Originally Posted by Bob's World View Post
WILF is pretty savvy on conventional warfare, both between states and with irregular forces as well; but my opinion, in his refusal to recognize that warfare within a state is unique and must be handled differently than by the rules derived from Napoleonic warfare; is dangerously off track when discussing insurgency.
Well thanks, but actually I am merely repeating the cannons and teachings of great men, in whose shadow I reside. I am not an original thinker, by any stretch.
So how exactly is war within a state different? Spanish, US, English(3) and Columbian civil wars ? The de-facto Iraqi Civil war?
a.) There are no rules derived from Napoleon's conduct of War (not warfare). He merely made enemies to create no advantage. He lost. The era in which he conducted Warfare holds relevant and timeless lessons.
b.) I merely suggest using force to gain what force has always been best at gaining. The insurgents are using force. Why the great confusion in persuading them to pursue peaceful means?
An insurgency is rarely, if ever, a legitimate expression of discontent.
If you don't take military action against an "insurgency", the "insurgency" will win, using military action against you! - as in Cuba and Nicaragua.

The Brits lost an empire "winning" insurgencies using the mindset WILF promotes. The U.S. will suffer a similar fate if we apply the same. Good news for the Brits was that they had little brother to pass the torch to. The US might want to ponder just who picks up the torch when we are forced to drop it as well...
Actually that's not true. We did not loose an Empire. Retaining an Empire was not economically or politically viable, after 1945 - mainly thanks to the US!
For 180 years, we held onto our Empire and expanded it, almost exclusively using skill in irregular warfare, as an expression of the politics of the age.
Post 1945, what our ability to conduct irregular warfare achieved in most cases, (thought not all) were non-communist Governments who could be productive members of the Common Wealth, at the time of independence. -contrast and compare that to the French and Dutch!

The two insurrections we "lost" - Ireland and Palestine, were against mostly against British Army trained irregulars, - both in under 2 years and both after a major war.