America's Challenge Waging Counterinsurgency Warfare
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Losing By Winning: America's Challenge Waging Counterinsurgency Warfare Author: Lee Allyn Lukoff Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:104358 This work is posted on eScholarship@BC, Boston College University Libraries. Boston College Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, 2014 Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. Boston College The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Department of Political Science LOSING BY WINNING: AMERICA’S CHALLENGE WAGING COUNTERINSURGENCY WARFARE A Case Study Analysis of the American Experience with Counterinsurgency Warfare in the Philippine-American, Vietnam and Iraq Wars A Thesis By LEE A. LUKOFF Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Arts © Copyright LEE ALLYN LUKOFF 2014 Abstract: Losing By Winning: America’s Challenge Waging Counterinsurgency Warfare is an analytical study of America’s experience waging counterinsurgency warfare in the Philippine- American, Vietnam and Iraq Wars. In each war, counterinsurgency warfare was applied to achieve the strategic objectives of American Foreign Policy as outlined by the President of the United States at the outset of each war. Initially, large swaths of the American electorate and political class favored achieving the strategic objectives of each war studied. Over time, as counterinsurgency tactics were put to use, and made headway towards achieving the strategic objectives of the conflict, public support for each war precipitously declined over time and either jeopardized the ability of the United States to complete its counterinsurgency campaign or lose them altogether. This occurred because images of atrocities and perceptions of violations of the laws of warfare (both real or imagined) were formed in the minds of Americans which created a political dynamic where the American public and their elected leaders in Washington D.C. could no longer legitimize continuing to support the ongoing war. The analytical insights drawn from this study give one an understanding of the unique challenges that confront the United States in employing counterinsurgency warfare to achieve the strategic objectives of the United States in the wars its fights. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My Master’s Thesis, Losing by Winning: America’s Challenge Waging Counterinsurgency Warfare, was the culmination of nearly two years of study at Boston College. First and foremost, I would like to thank my thesis advisor Dr. Hiroshi Nakazato for taking me under his wing and guiding me through the most important academic study of my life thus far. To say the least, Dr. Nakazato’s advising was exemplary and it was truly an honor to study under the auspices of one of the most renowned scholars at Boston College. I would also like to thank Mom and Dad for giving me the moral and material support to succeed in my studies at Boston College. I will forever be indebted to both of you for all of your kindness and support you’ve given me throughout my life. Lastly, I would like to thank all of the faculty in the Department of Political Science for working with me each and every day to further my career as a scholar of International Relations. Table of Contents I. Theoretical Framework Model & Description II. Introduction III. Chapter 1: Are Counterinsurgency Wars Legitimate? IV. Chapter 2 –The Logic of Insurgency and Counterinsurgency V. Chapter 3 - National Security, Doctrinal and Tactical Strategic Interests VI. Chapter 4 - The Liberal Conscience & Public Support for War VII. Chapter 5 – American Military Culture and Civil-Military Relations I. Images of Atrocities & Perceived Violations of the Laws of War VIII. Chapter 6 – Philippine War Case Study IX. Chapter 7 – Vietnam War Case Study X. Chapter 8 – Iraq War Case Study XI. Chapter 9 – Conclusion XII. Bibliography ii I. Theoretical Framework Model Losing By Winning: America's Challenge Waging Counterinsurgency Warfare Civilian Military Images of Support for War American Atrocities & Public & Political Strategic Perceived Interests Violations of the Laws of War Insurgency Support for Counterinsurgency War Public & Political American Civil American Liberal Military Military Conscience Relations Culture 3 Theoretical Framework Description To succinctly explain my thesis in a clear and coherent manner, I created a theoretical model to explain the existential factors that make it so difficult for the United States to fight and win wars against insurgencies. In totality, the analytical framework of my thesis describes a process that plays out in each case study. The model explains the reasons why it is so difficult for the United States to win wars against enemies that wage asymmetrical warfare in order to achieve their political goals. I trace a process that starts by explaining the nature of the military adversary (insurgency) and how the United States chooses to fight the insurgency in war (counterinsurgency). Descriptions of the insurgency describe the political and military nature of the insurgency and its military and political objectives in war. Counterinsurgency, a military and political strategy designed to pacify the insurgency, is the tactical approach applied by the quash the political and military goals of the insurgency. The reason the United States fights counterinsurgency wars is because policymakers deem them to be necessary to further the interests of American Foreign Policy. To defeat an insurgency, the United States employs its military to do so (although other government agencies oftentimes assist in the process). The Armed Forces of the United States is an institution with multiple service branches (Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines). Each has its own unique history, organizational culture, standards of protocol, leadership and strengths and weaknesses in employing counterinsurgency warfare. All of these aforementioned factors, and many others, embody American military culture and shape the fighting force that will confront the insurgency on the battlefield The American military doesn’t act autonomously in wartime. The President of the United States and Congress directly control the operational decisions made by the military. As 4 Commander in Chief, the President of the United States has to rally public opinion to support the war. In crafting policy, the President of the United States can choose to either adopt a hands-on or hands-off approach to overseeing the counterinsurgency operations. This is done by making executive decisions that will shape the behaviors of the civilian and military leaders responsible for managing the conflict. Without Congress providing authorization and financial support, the military cannot employ a strategy to defeat the insurgency. Without rallying public support for war, the President and Congress cannot maintain legitimacy to continue counterinsurgency operations while the war is in progress. If the counterinsurgency campaign loses political legitimacy before it ends on terms favorable to the United States, the entire mission runs the risk of failure. Such a situation means that the United States will fail to achieve the strategic objectives set forth in the beginning of the conflict and could set back the strategic interests of the United States and diminish its standing in the world. For these reasons, maintaining control over the levers of power that control wartime decision-making is crucial for the counterinsurgents if they hope to pacify the insurgency they are confronted with fighting. On the civilian side of the equation, American political leaders and the general population view counterinsurgency wars from within the framework of their Liberal Conscience. Broadly speaking, the Liberal Conscience is an explanation of a worldview that, while not mutually exclusive to Americans, explains how a great number of them think on matters pertaining to war and peace. The Liberal Conscience is a product of American values, beliefs and political culture. In wartime, the Liberal Conscience leads civilian leaders and citizens alike to support fighting wars to advance noble causes and defeat ill-liberal enemies. However, once war ensues and the true nature of the war is revealed, the Liberal Conscience leads American civilian leaders and citizens to ultimately recoil from supporting war. This problematic dynamic is explained in detail in each case study of my thesis. 5 I argue that aforementioned state of affairs exists due in part to the fact that images (both real and imagined) from war play a decisive role in molding public perceptions of the utility of fighting the war. In the beginning of a war, when events sending off troops are occasions of great pomp and circumstance, support for war is at its highest levels. Once grisly images of dead soldiers, perceived violations of the laws of war and massive destruction make their way back to the United States, politicians and citizens’ alike turn against the war and push policymakers. to end the same conflict they once thought was so important to fight. This model attempts to explain a unique phenomenon that takes place each time the United States chooses fights a war against an insurgency. I explain how the aforementioned theoretical model has played out in American wars against insurgencies in the Philippine- American War of 1898, Vietnam War and the Iraq Wars. The analytical conclusions drawn from my study shed light on the hurdles and challenges the American military faces in winning wars against insurgencies. 6 Introduction The United States has had a long and controversial