What is distinctive is Kilcullen’s approach, which articulates the concept in an understandable way and breaks it down into the simplest of terms. 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. The Accidental Guerrilla. to the government. After the invasion, Kilcullen watched the growing mayhem with outrage and dismay. That is often times true. Population-centric approaches, that center on protecting local people and gaining their support, succeed more often” (the accidental guerrilla theory). 2 Reviews. The Accidental Guerrilla has an anthropologist's sense of social dynamics and a reporter's eye for telling detail. The terrorists’ effort is meant to be long lasting, and it’s highly effective. Lawrence, Frank Kitson, or Sir Robert Thompson will be quite familiar with these principles. Each of these studies is superbly crafted and highlights the theory of the accidental guerrilla perfectly. There the peasant, according to VC documents, became “petits bourgeois,” with new lives in commerce. Based on field experiences and his extensive research, he believes this is the concept that essentially determines the outcome of any insurgency or counterinsurgency. David Kilcullen is a former officer in the Australian Army, a strategist and a scholar. Free trial available! Readers well-versed in COIN doctrine and principles may not obtain any significant nuggets to add to their understanding of the subject. He emphatically states, “Enemy-centric approaches that focus on the enemy, assuming that killing insurgents is the key task, rarely succeed. David Kilcullen. June 21, 2009. 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. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service. Copyright © 2004-2018 Armchair General L.L.C., All rights reserved. Oxford University Press, 2009, Hardback, 346 pages. Very, very interesting. David Kilcullen. No one listened. I would like to point out a weakness in current thought among those who claim to “get it” on COIN. YOU (the counterinsurgent), need the widespead support of the people. 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. Al Qaeda establishes its presence in a remote area of conflict, then penetrates the population the same way influenza infects a weakened immune system. For starters, this is a good description of the difference between counterterrorism and counterinsurgency. 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. $27.95. Accidental Guerrilla, however, comes about as close as I can imagine to such status. Book Review: The Accidental Guerrilla Email Print 0 Shares. 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. He also has an incandescent wit, which he applies like a blowtorch to my book and to my personal character. “The Accidental Guerrilla” is not an easy book. This called for a war that, according to Hanoi’s Communist Party history was totally won by DRV regulars because the VC was no more than an “anoyance” to Saigon. He states, “The Afghan campaign is at a strategic crossroads, and may indeed be approaching a tipping point. These are small insurgencies seeking autonomy that align themselves intentionally (or sometimes not) with the larger movement. For those not willing to put in the time and effort, reading “The Accidental Guerrilla” could be like a junior high school student’s attempting “Ulysses.”. 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. David Kilcullen opens his book with the following statement: “This book, like its wars, is a hybrid: part field study, part personnel recollection; perhaps too academic to be popular and too populist to be purely academic.” I believe Kilcullen has achieved the right blend of populist and academic. Part of Kilcullen’s academic research involved living and working alongside villagers in West Java, trying to absorb the culture of Darul Islam, a guerrilla movement hatched in the late 1940s (and later identified by some as an Indonesian clone and ally of Al Qaeda). To see Kilcullen’s theory at work, you need only to look at the Swat region of northern Pakistan. Many intelligent, experienced, serious people thinking on the subject have assumed that the insurgent necessarily requires widespread support of the people. He quotes a colonel in Afghanistan: “You can drill a well in a day, and build a school in a month, . This time people listened. Kilcullen’s later observations in Iraq led to his conclusion that America has not responded wisely to global terrorism. 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. 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. David Kilcullen is a former officer in the Australian Army, a strategist and a scholar. 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. 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). 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. User-contributed reviews. It’s best when Kilcullen uses narrative to recount his personal experiences. This, not destroying the enemy, is the central task.”, But how does one go about doing this? Kilcullen provides his recommendations on how to achieve this mission: the solution must be population-centric not enemy-centric. What Kilcullen does not deal with is the Muslim unity in the face of his fellow Christian American “Crusades” there. However, an enemy-centric approach that neglects the population can very well result in the population being swayed by the insurgents, through propaganda and/or intimidation, and the end result of this is the creation of the accidental guerrilla. It will greatly assist readers in understanding the past. After reading “The Accidental Guerrilla,” one is left to wonder why the Pentagon did not listen to his sage advice back in 2003, instead of that of all those cheery optimists who predicted the Iraqis would greet the American forces with flowers. Taliban did not do 9/11 and will not do the next. The Economist. David Kilcullen. Amazon Page . However, Kilcullen’s ability to intertwine analogies and place these principles in a different light will take these knowledgeable readers to the next step in their overall understanding of COIN. While there is no question of my complete satisfaction with this book, I should provide some words of caution for prospective readers. In total, he has a truly impressive resume for the authorship of his first book, The Accidental Guerrilla. Washington was focused on the big picture — Al Qaeda. In this role, he was part of the team that planned the "surge." 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. Even so, this book is essential. When you start a road, you send a message that this isn’t a monthlong partnership — it’s for the long haul.”. It would have shamed them to stand by and wait it out, they said.”. If T.E. Reviewed by JANINE di GIOVANNI. Oxford University Press, Mar 16, 2009 - Political Science - 384 pages. But not always. Cart All. But still, Kilcullen warns, it is essential to reassure the native peoples that you are not there to occupy them. Hello Select your address Books Hello, Sign in. 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. There is much in this book that I like and admire but having spent a little time looking at some of the more critical reviews of this book I cannot give it five stars or praise it without mentioning criticisms. The Accidental Guerrilla has an anthropologist's sense of social dynamics and a reporter's eye for telling detail. This is why many insurgent groups engage in acts of terrorism – killing innocent people in marketplaces, on buses, or on trains. Such a strategy does not require widespread public support so much as it requires a lack of a unified, determined foe. “It’s going to take a lot more than you seem to be willing to commit,” he told the Americans. The BAD GUYS (insurgents), might or might not require that support – it depends on their strategy. Lawrence evoked the means of waging irregular warfare in his 1926 classic, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, Mr Kilcullen describes the practitioner's art of combating insurgents. One who has garnered a tremendous reputation is David Kilcullen. Although the author covers several distinct areas in detail, they all revolve around his theory of what he calls the accidental guerrilla. How does the initiation process of the accidental guerrilla happen? If T.E. { 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. Despite the pessimistic tone, Kilcullen provides readers with a concise, yet comprehensive strategy on what to do next in Afghanistan. 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. He takes these ideas and is able to dissect them into the elements of politics, security, economic and information in a way that all readers can comprehend. Be the first. Perhaps, the best and most obvious place to begin a review of Guerrilla is with the title. One is the larger international movement: the Long War, as the Pentagon calls it, against Al Qaeda. 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. If T.E. 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 Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One. Contagion occurs when the safe haven is used to spread violence. Ditto for Pakistan. C. Hurst (Publishers) Limited, 2009 - Afghan War, 2001-- 346 pages. Sunday, July 5, 2009. After reading The Accidental Guerrilla, one is left to wonder why the pentagon did not listen to his sage advice back in 2003.' . Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. 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. David Kilcullen. Save this story for later. It doesn’t hurt that Kilcullen is a remarkably good writer, with lucid, well-constructed prose and an eye for the relevant. 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. This service included various assignments involved in COIN and guerrilla warfare, with deployments in East Timor, Bougainville, and the Middle East. While I … Throughout the volume, Kilcullen displays a rare ability to take the complicated and place it in straightforward terms. 4.0 out of 5 stars The Accidental Guerilla - Small Wars Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2012 This book is one of the must read although I do not entirely with one of the principles. Those who do not possess this level of understanding will also benefit tremendously from The Accidental Guerrilla. There, our “Better War” towards the end almost won because, while in the begininig the VC were fish swimming in a sea of willing peasants, our ordnance mania made them all refugees to the cities, turning South vietnam from 85% rural to 75% urban. “When the battle was right there in front of them, how could they not join in?” Kilcullen writes. Some insurgencies can achieve most of their goals by creating a situation that is so utterly intolerable to their opponents that anything would seem preferable to the conditions created by the insurgent. After reading The Accidental Guerrilla, one is left to wonder why the pentagon did not listen to his sage advice back in 2003.’ — New York Times Book Review They provide nothing of value to those exposed willingly or unwillingly to their views. David Galula, a French writer on military affairs who was known for his theories on counterinsurgency, particularly during France’s Algerian war, must have influenced Kilcullen while he was doing his Ph.D. in political anthropology. David Kilcullen (Author), Peter Ganim (Narrator), Audible Studios (Publisher) & 0 more. Lawrence evoked the means of waging irregular warfare in his 1926 classic, 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom', Mr. Kilcullen describes the practitioner's art of combating insurgents."--. 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. Account & Lists Account Returns & Orders. Other prominent COIN authorities addressed the principles he stresses years earlier. See all formats and editions. “You should talk to old Mrs. N, her husband was an imam who worked with the movement,” was the kind of lead Kilcullen would get after a time. By George Packe r. May 12, 2009 . Since his retirement from the Australian Army, Kilcullen’s reputation has escalated within the United States and the military community. 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.”. Or the villagers in Uruzgan, Afghanistan, who joined the Taliban in a 2006 offensive against an American patrol simply for the joy of fighting. The Accidental Guerrilla Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One Oxford University Press . 4.5 out of 5 stars 125 ratings. Kilcullen believes that to succeed, the West needs to remain agile, and to protect the people who support the government, what he calls “population-centric security.” “Effective counterinsurgency,” he writes, “provides human security to the population, where they live, 24 hours a day. 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.. Second, readers who like to complete books in one or two sittings will find that nearly impossible with The Accidental Guerrilla. Kilcullen likens it to a disease. --Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek There are a select few people who truly speak with influence in the aforementioned subjects. Similar Items. Those who have read David Galula, T.E. --New York Times Book Review From the Author David Kilcullen is one of the world's foremost thinkers on counterinsurgency and military strategy. 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.”. I believe most readers will find Kilcullen’s treatment of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars both extremely valuable and explored in a unique perspective. “This book, like its wars, is a hybrid: part field study, part personnel recollection; perhaps too academic to be popular and too populist to be purely academic.”. Lawrence evoked the means of waging irregular warfare in his 1926 classic, 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom', … However, assuming that popular support is zero-sum and thinking that because the insurgent lacks the support of the people that you, as the counterinsurgent, necessarily have gained it is deadly wrong. 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 that's not all; the book has many more insights drawn from various battlefields." His book is an attempt to understand the global phenomenon of radical takfiri extremism/terrorism, explain what has worked in Afghanistan and Iraq … In the Accidental Guerilla he attempts to draw together lessons from his experiences ranging from studying in rural Indonesia (where he encounters likely Al-Qaeda affiliates who are definitely ethnic Arab and not local) to long tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq. But let us recall what happened to Vietnam. . It’s best when Kilcullen uses narrative to recount his personal experiences. “The Accidental Guerrilla” is not an easy book. David Kilcullen's the Accidental Guerrilla, is a much needed, accessible to a general audience, serious discussion of the business of counterinsurgency and the separate topic of counter-terrorism. But the Vietnam lesson is fogotten. The military must also protect. 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. 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). “This was the most exciting thing that had happened in their valley in years. Required fields are marked *, Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. The Accidental Guerrilla Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One. Book Review: The Accidental Guerrilla I was a little nonplussed by Andrew Bacevich's review of my recent book, The Accidental Guerrilla (Oxford University Press, 2009). The Accidental Guerrilla is a book that will be an invaluable asset to a wide readership. And with patience and cunning, he built up the knowledge he needed. Then, he becomes a military adventurer, a modern Fitzroy MacLean: wandering through volcanic jungles; or flying in a Blackhawk over northwest Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonates on the ground below, nearly plunging him to his death. Review: The Accidental Guerrilla–Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One 2 Star, Insurgency & Revolution. 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. Kilcullen skillfully interprets the future of counterinsurgency, the proper use of military force and what we must learn from our losses and mistakes. Skip to main content.ca. 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 other, though largely ignored, is equally crucial: the uprisings of local networks and fighters. Kilcullen states, “If we were to draw historical analogies, we might say operations in Iraq are like trying to defeat the Viet Cong (insurgency) while simultaneously rebuilding Germany (nation-building following war and dictatorship), keeping peace in the Balkans (communal and sectarian conflict), and defeating the IRA (domestic terrorism). That is why, personally, I (and many others) have been anxiously awaiting the release of his first book, The Accidental Guerrilla. Rick Baillergeon co-authors with John Sutherland the continuing monthly series Tactics 101 for ArmchairGeneral.com. Tags . Galula’s thesis is that one aim of war is to support the local population rather than control the territory. 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. (The Economist) The failure to provide civil security will eventually destroy the perceived legitimacy of a government and breed additional opposition (“accidental guerrillas”?) I recommend digesting Kilcullen’s information one chapter at a time. The Accidental Guerrilla is a book that will be an invaluable asset to a wide readership. I found the most provocative portion of his discussion on Iraq was his assessment on why operations in the country are so challenging. In either case, know that popular support is NOT zero-sum. 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. but it takes a long, long time to build a road. I had seen some pretty high-power reviews of David Kilcullen’s The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One start popping up, then a co-worker who’s acknowledged in the book’s Acknowledgements lent me her copy. 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. Discussing the tribal areas of Pakistan, Kilcullen shows how Al Qaeda moved in by taking over communities — establishing bonds by marrying local women, operating businesses, eventually recruiting the villagers as fighters. The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One Audible Audiobook – Unabridged. A militiaman in Najaf, Iraq, firing toward American positions, in 2004. ‘This book is essential…. But instead we have been feeding corruption blindly as in Iraq. 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