The accidental guerrilla: fighting small wars in the midst of a big one

Abstract

David Kilcullen is one of world's most influential experts counterinsurgency and modern warfare, a ground-breaking theorist whose ideas are revolutionizing military thinking throughout west (Washington Post). Indeed, his vision of modern warfare powerfully influenced America's decision to rethink its military strategy in Iraq and implement the Surge, now recognized as a dramatic success. In The Accidental Guerrilla, Kilcullen provides a remarkably fresh perspective Terror. Kilcullen takes us on ground to uncover face of modern warfare, illuminating both big global war (the War Terrorism) and its relation to associated small across globe: Iraq, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Thailand, Pakistani tribal zones, East Timor and horn of Africa. Kilcullen sees today's conflicts as a complex interweaving of contrasting trends--local insurgencies seeking autonomy caught up in a broader pan-Islamic campaign--small wars in midst of a big one. He warns that America's actions in war terrorism have tended to conflate these trends, blurring distinction between local and global struggles and thus enormously complicating our challenges. Indeed, US had done a poor job of applying different tactics to these very different situations, continually misidentifying insurgents with limited aims and legitimate grievances--whom he calls accidental guerrillas--as part of a coordinated worldwide terror network. We must learn how to disentangle these strands, develop strategies that deal with global threats, avoid local conflicts where possible, and win them where necessary. Colored with gripping battlefield experiences that range from jungles and highlands of Southeast Asia to mountains of Afghanistan-Pakistan border to dusty towns of Middle East, The Accidental Guerrilla will, quite simply, change way we think about war. This book is a must read for everyone concerned about war terror.