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23 April 2015

Factor of legitimacy in use of force in countering insurgency

21 Apr , 2015

Military men by training and instinct are suspicious of academic and philosophical speculation. But all over the world today, they are increasingly tasked to tackle insurgencies, a problem that is more politico-military. Here is an attempt to share some of the insights the author gained in over 25 years of study of this subject.

The insurgents relied on guerrilla tactics that precluded the use of heavy weapons. Thus, the insurgents successfully managed to dictate the terms of engagements.

Insurgency wars in the later half of the 20th century were a tool for the `weaker’ Communists block to change the global power balance. Open confrontation carried the risk of escalation and the Communist powers were at a disadvantage in the field of technologies of conventional weapons. The insurgents relied on guerrilla tactics that precluded the use of heavy weapons. Thus, the insurgents successfully managed to dictate the terms of engagements. Captain B. H. Liddle Hart in his foreword to the book on Mao’s thoughts on guerrilla war says,

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