FM 3-24.2. Tactics in Counterinsurgency
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FM 3-24.2 (FM 90-8, FM 7-98) TACTICS IN COUNTERINSURGENCY APRIL 2009 DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION: Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY This publication is available at Army Knowledge Online (www.us.army.mil) and General Dennis J. Reimer Training and Doctrine Digital Library at (www.train.army.mil). * FM 3-24.2 (FM 90-8, FM 7-98) Field Manual Headquarters Department of the Army No. 3-24.2 Washington, DC, 21 April 2009 Tactics in Counterinsurgency Contents Page PREFACE ................................................................................................................. viii INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... ix Chapter 1 OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF COUNTERINSURGENCY ........................... 1-1 Section I—OVERVIEW ............................................................................................. 1-1 Insurgency........................................................................................................... 1-1 Counterinsurgency .............................................................................................. 1-2 Influences on Current Operational Environments ............................................... 1-2 Section II—OPERATIONAL AND MISSION VARIABLES ..................................... 1-3 Operational Variables ......................................................................................... 1-3 Mission Variables ................................................................................................ 1-6 Section III—ANALYSIS OF CIVIL CONSIDERATIONS USING ASCOPE ............. 1-8 Methodology........................................................................................................ 1-8 Civil Considerations Overlay ............................................................................... 1-9 Civil Consideration Matrixes ............................................................................. 1-10 Section IV—EFFECTS ........................................................................................... 1-16 Prerequisites ..................................................................................................... 1-16 Root Causes ..................................................................................................... 1-17 Section V—CULTURAL COMPETENCE AND SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ... 1-18 Culture ............................................................................................................... 1-18 Cultural Capability ............................................................................................. 1-24 Cultural Proficiency Levels................................................................................ 1-24 Culturally Influenced Situational Awareness .................................................... 1-25 Chapter 2 FOUNDATIONS OF INSURGENCY ......................................................................... 2-1 Section I—OVERVIEW ............................................................................................. 2-1 Components ........................................................................................................ 2-1 Manifestations ..................................................................................................... 2-1 Historical Insurgency ........................................................................................... 2-2 Section II—ELEMENTS ........................................................................................... 2-2 Leaders ............................................................................................................... 2-3 Guerrillas ............................................................................................................. 2-3 Distribution Restriction: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. * This publication supersedes FM 90-8, 29 August 1986 and FM 7-98, 19 October 1992. FM 3-24.2 i Contents Underground ....................................................................................................... 2-4 Auxiliaries ........................................................................................................... 2-4 Mass Base .......................................................................................................... 2-4 Example .............................................................................................................. 2-5 Section III—DYNAMICS .......................................................................................... 2-5 Leadership .......................................................................................................... 2-5 Objective ............................................................................................................. 2-7 Ideology .............................................................................................................. 2-9 Environment and Geography ........................................................................... 2-10 External Support ............................................................................................... 2-11 Internal Support ................................................................................................ 2-12 Phasing and Timing .......................................................................................... 2-15 Organizational and Operational Patterns ......................................................... 2-16 Section IV—STRATEGIES .................................................................................... 2-16 Urban Strategy ................................................................................................. 2-17 Military-Focused Strategy ................................................................................. 2-17 Protracted Popular War Strategy ..................................................................... 2-17 Identity-Focused Strategy ................................................................................ 2-18 Conspiratorial Strategy ..................................................................................... 2-18 Section V—TACTICS ............................................................................................ 2-20 Violent Tactics .................................................................................................. 2-20 Nonviolent Tactics ............................................................................................ 2-23 Section VI—STRENGTHS AND VULNERABILITIES .......................................... 2-24 Strengths .......................................................................................................... 2-24 Vulnerabilities ................................................................................................... 2-25 Chapter 3 FOUNDATIONS OF COUNTERINSURGENCY ...................................................... 3-1 Section I—OVERVIEW ............................................................................................ 3-1 Definition of Counterinsurgency ......................................................................... 3-1 Goal of Counterinsurgency Operations .............................................................. 3-1 Foreign Internal Defense .................................................................................... 3-2 Internal Defense and Development .................................................................... 3-2 Joint, Interagency, Intergovernmental, Multinational .......................................... 3-2 Interagency Coordination in COIN ..................................................................... 3-5 Lines of Effort in Counterinsurgency .................................................................. 3-7 Section II—HISTORICAL THEORIES ..................................................................... 3-9 Robert Thompson's Principles for Successful COIN .......................................... 3-9 David Galula’s Four Laws for Successful COIN................................................. 3-9 Charles Callwell’s Ideas for Successful COIN ................................................. 3-10 Section III—TACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS ........................................................ 3-10 Terrain .............................................................................................................. 3-10 Troops .............................................................................................................. 3-14 Section IV—CLEAR-HOLD-BUILD OPERATIONS .............................................. 3-17 Overview ........................................................................................................... 3-18 Clear ................................................................................................................. 3-19 Hold .................................................................................................................. 3-20 Build .................................................................................................................. 3-21 ii FM 3-24.2 21 April 2009 Contents Section V—OTHER MAJOR COIN TACTICAL OPERATIONS ............................ 3-23 Strike Operations .............................................................................................. 3-23 Populace and Resource Control Operations .................................................... 3-24