David Kilcullen is one of the world's most influential experts on counterinsurgency and modern warfare, a ground-breaking theorist whose ideas "are revolutionizing military thinking throughout the west" (Washington Post). Those who do not possess this level of understanding will also benefit tremendously from The Accidental Guerrilla. I believe most readers will find Kilcullen’s treatment of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars both extremely valuable and explored in a unique perspective. His work in Iraq and Afghanistan involved much on-the-ground fact-gathering — meeting with the people rather than locking himself in the Green Zone. User-contributed reviews. In some cases the insurgent may seek to take power in a coalition overthrow (Iran, 1979), and then eliminate its weaker partners to consolidate power. In reference to this strategy he states, “The ideas are not new; implementing them effectively would be.” I would suggest that Kilcullen’s ability to articulate this strategy in a succinct five pages is new. He also has an incandescent wit, which he applies like a blowtorch to my book and to my personal character. It simply generates far too many reflective opportunities for the reader. “This was the most exciting thing that had happened in their valley in years. Accidental Guerrilla, however, comes about as close as I can imagine to such status. Washington was focused on the big picture — Al Qaeda. Based on field experiences and his extensive research, he believes this is the concept that essentially determines the outcome of any insurgency or counterinsurgency. How does the initiation process of the accidental guerrilla happen? Accidental American Accidentally Rediscovers Old Knowledge. It will greatly assist readers in understanding the past. What Kilcullen wanted to do was to observe the movement the way the locals did — not from the “official version I could find in books.” So he lived in villages and conversed with his curious neighbors about blue jeans and the Internet, until they trusted him enough to share information. Email Print 0 Shares. First, some may find Kilcullen’s writing in the early stages of the book a bit too academic for them and they may lose interest in the book. One of the larger mistakes America has made in its handling of the Long War against Al Qaeda was ignoring the details of small conflicts that are so important to Kilcullen. Even if you’re not deeply interested in the ins and outs of counter-insurgency theory, it’s likely that you’ll enjoy Accidental Guerrilla. Since his retirement from the Australian Army, Kilcullen’s reputation has escalated within the United States and the military community. It had ignored the separate, interlocking struggles. If T.E. His book is an attempt to understand the global phenomenon of radical takfiri extremism/terrorism, explain what has worked in Afghanistan and Iraq … Galula’s thesis is that one aim of war is to support the local population rather than control the territory. I was a little nonplussed by Andrew Bacevich's review of my recent book, The Accidental Guerrilla (Oxford University Press, 2009). That said, it IS certainly true that the COUNTERinsurgent requires widespread public support. The Accidental Guerrilla is a book that will be an invaluable asset to a wide readership. In either case, know that popular support is NOT zero-sum. By George Packe r. May 12, 2009 . Counterinsurgency, he says, “demands the continuous presence of security forces”; “local alliances and partnerships with community leaders; creation of self-defending populations”; and “operation of small-unit ground forces in tandem with local security forces.”. { THE ACCIDENTAL GUERRILLA: FIGHTING SMALL WARS IN THE MIDST OF A BIG ONE } By Kilcullen, David ( Author ) [ Apr - 2011 ] [ Paperback ] | David Kilcullen | ISBN: | Kostenloser Versand für alle Bücher mit Versand und Verkauf duch Amazon. Posted on May 5, 2009 in Books and Movies. This service included various assignments involved in COIN and guerrilla warfare, with deployments in East Timor, Bougainville, and the Middle East. June 21, 2009. These are small insurgencies seeking autonomy that align themselves intentionally (or sometimes not) with the larger movement. This is not revolutionary in COIN doctrine. 1 Review. but it takes a long, long time to build a road. Such attacks create an intolerable environment in which the people look to their government and demand an end to the attacks. Kilcullen's central concept of the 'accidental guerrilla' is brilliant and the policy prescriptions that flow from it important. He earned a doctorate in politics from New South Wales University; his thesis was entitled, “The Political Consequences of Military Operations in Indonesia 1945–99: A Fieldwork Analysis of the Power-Diffusion Effects of Guerrilla Conflict.” Militarily, he served for twenty-plus years (retiring in 2006) as an infantry officer in the Australian Army. Review: The Accidental Guerrilla–Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One 2 Star, Insurgency & Revolution. Lawrence evoked the means of waging irregular warfare in his 1926 classic, 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom', … If T.E. See all formats and editions. There are a select few people who truly speak with influence in the aforementioned subjects. The Accidental Guerrilla by David Kilcullen, 9781849047111, available at Book Depository with free delivery worldwide. (The Economist) Tags . Amazon Page . Mr Bacevich is a highly intelligent and knowledgeable man whose work I have admired over many years (in fact, I quote him at length in two places in the book). “It’s going to take a lot more than you seem to be willing to commit,” he told the Americans. But let us recall what happened to Vietnam. First, one must consider the goals of the insurgent, then the insurgent’s strategy (which is not the same thing as his tactics, though his tactics are driven by his strategy). And with patience and cunning, he built up the knowledge he needed. He is adamant the Iraq War was a serious strategic error; however, he is just as resolute that forces must now stay until the mission is complete. To see Kilcullen’s theory at work, you need only to look at the Swat region of northern Pakistan. 5.0 • 1 valoración; $11.99; $11.99; Descripción de la editorial. David Kilcullen. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. In total, he has a truly impressive resume for the authorship of his first book, The Accidental Guerrilla. C. Hurst (Publishers) Limited, 2009 - Afghan War, 2001-- 346 pages. Just as importantly, it will provide readers with the background they need to understand the events of the future and the role of the accidental guerrilla. Ignorance and Ideology Meet at the Capitol, Hungary’s Wartime Leader Struck a Faustian Deal With Hitler, Online Exclusive: Ram the Yankees, Full Speed Ahead. Even so, this book is essential. The terrorists’ effort is meant to be long lasting, and it’s highly effective. What Kilcullen does not deal with is the Muslim unity in the face of his fellow Christian American “Crusades” there. This time people listened. Rick Baillergeon co-authors with John Sutherland the continuing monthly series Tactics 101 for ArmchairGeneral.com. His ideas were linked to the research he did 10 years earlier in the Javanese jungle: the theory that the war on terror has essentially two contrasting aspects. --Publishers Weekly Starred Review He quotes a colonel in Afghanistan: “You can drill a well in a day, and build a school in a month, . The Accidental Guerrilla: 9781849047111: Books - Amazon.ca. While there is no question of my complete satisfaction with this book, I should provide some words of caution for prospective readers. This led to massive massacre of civilians before our troops went in. 2 Reviews. This would be a huge mistake, as the author’s style loosens up quickly. Required fields are marked *, Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. YOU (the counterinsurgent), need the widespead support of the people. It would have shamed them to stand by and wait it out, they said.”. As Bracevich points out in NATIONAL INTEREST, there is here the sound of an interested party whose career depends on the US trapped in endless COIN ops. It will greatly assist readers in understanding the past. Kilcullen defines the accidental guerrilla as “the local fighter … fighting us because we are in his space, not because he wishes to invade ours.” Thus, he stresses a population-centric approach in a COIN operation will set the conditions for members of the population not becoming accidental guerrillas. That is why, personally, I (and many others) have been anxiously awaiting the release of his first book, The Accidental Guerrilla. In “The Accidental Guerrilla,” Kilcullen draws on his vast experience not only as a dedicated field researcher, but also as a soldier — he commanded an infantry company in counterinsurgency operations in East Timor in 1999. The BAD GUYS (insurgents), might or might not require that support – it depends on their strategy. Just as importantly, it will provide readers with the background they need to understand the events of the future and the role of the accidental guerrilla. The other, though largely ignored, is equally crucial: the uprisings of local networks and fighters. He emphatically states, “Enemy-centric approaches that focus on the enemy, assuming that killing insurgents is the key task, rarely succeed. The most extensive sections of his book concentrate, naturally, on Iraq and Afghanistan (which he still sees as “winnable” with a long-term commitment), but his analysis leads him as well to smaller movements in such places as Chechnya, Thailand, Indonesia and the Horn of Africa. Your email address will not be published. These all have to be done at the same time, in the same place, and changes in one part of the problem significantly affect the others.”, In terms of the future of Afghanistan, Kilcullen is not overly optimistic. $27.95. In this role, he was part of the team that planned the "surge." When outside forces intervene, disrupting the safe haven, the local population aligns with Al Qaeda. But still, Kilcullen warns, it is essential to reassure the native peoples that you are not there to occupy them. Contagion occurs when the safe haven is used to spread violence. Later, Kilcullen went on to advise Condoleezza Rice and helped Gen. David Petraeus implement the 2007 surge — which, up to a point, he believes has been successful, largely because of his friend Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. The Accidental Guerrilla has an anthropologist's sense of social dynamics and a reporter's eye for telling detail. Kilcullen’s knowledge of warfare is highly sophisticated, but he does himself and his readers no favors when he weighs his book down with acronyms and digressions. Oxford University Press, Mar 16, 2009 - Political Science - 384 pages. I've been reading Kilcullen's book since last week, when he addressed a class I was attending at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center. Editorial Reviews "For a wider perspective on the lessons drawn over the past seven years of the 'war on terror', the reader can do no better than turn to Mr. Kilcullen's excellent book. David Kilcullen. He is also an expert on counterinsurgency, or how to combat a rebellion, and one of the few brave souls who had the ear of people in the Bush White House and advised against the invasion of Iraq. --New York Times Book Review From the Author David Kilcullen is one of the world's foremost thinkers on counterinsurgency and military strategy. To this end, the counterinsurgent would do well to concentrate on providing civil security – the most basic responsibility of government and deeply linked to legitimacy. His numerous COIN-related articles and papers have embraced, particularly by the United States military. Your email address will not be published. One is the larger international movement: the Long War, as the Pentagon calls it, against Al Qaeda. And that's not all; the book has many more insights drawn from various battlefields." The Accidental Guerrilla has an anthropologist's sense of social dynamics and a reporter's eye for telling detail. One who has garnered a tremendous reputation is David Kilcullen. It is no coincidence Kilcullen served as the Special Advisor for COIN to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and as General David Petraeus’ COIN advisor. There seems to be no shortage of self-proclaimed experts in the areas of counterinsurgency (COIN), guerrilla warfare (GW), Al Qa’ida, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. : David Kilcullen. I recommend digesting Kilcullen’s information one chapter at a time. The VC were doing fine because, as in Iraq/Afghan efforts, career officers depended on being action-Jackson but since it had to be with low casualties, thy prepaired the ops terrain by stralizing it with ordnance, destroying all protein on it.. Cart All. For starters, this is a good description of the difference between counterterrorism and counterinsurgency. What is needed, he points out, is to develop strategies that deal both with global terrorism and conflicts at the local level. In truth, the preponderance of these experts possess little or no credibility in any of these areas. Kilcullen skillfully interprets the future of counterinsurgency, the proper use of military force and what we must learn from our losses and mistakes. Other prominent COIN authorities addressed the principles he stresses years earlier. A Senior Counterinsurgency Advisor to General David Petraeus, Kilcullen's vision of war dramatically influenced America's decision to rethink its military strategy in Iraq. In my view, the conflict remains winnable, but the overall trend is extremely negative and a concerted long-term effort is needed—lasting 5-10 years at least—if we are to have any chance of building a resilient Afghan state and civil society that can defeat the threat from a resurgent Taliban and an increasingly active sanctuary in Pakistan.”. 4.5 out of 5 stars 125 ratings. He is also an expert on counterinsurgency, or how to combat a rebellion, and one of the few brave souls who had the ear of people in the Bush White House and advised against the invasion of Iraq. Nowhere is this displayed better than in the author’s use of two case studies: To highlight how the United States has effectively executed the concept of the accidental guerrilla, he details the Iraqi tribal uprising against Al Qa’ida during the 2007 Surge and the Kunar Afghanistan road construction project in 2008. The failure to provide civil security will eventually destroy the perceived legitimacy of a government and breed additional opposition (“accidental guerrillas”?) If instead our troops were to play a passive protective role, rather than massacre civilians blindly, USAID could, as did CORDS in South Vietnam, create an urban settings where youth and women could take refuge, slowly draining the rural “sea” (in which swim the Taliban) with industry and commerce. But instead we have been feeding corruption blindly as in Iraq. The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One. The Accidental Guerrilla Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One Oxford University Press . Skip to main content.ca. The author is an accidental American given access to top secret information and inner circles much more appropriate to Ralph … Sunday, July 5, 2009. Second, readers who like to complete books in one or two sittings will find that nearly impossible with The Accidental Guerrilla. 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