| dc.description.abstract | U. S. Army Counterinsurgency (COIN) Doctrine, as outlined in Army Field Manual 3-24, is based upon the theoretical precept that the center of gravity in a war of insurgency is the local population, and that by winning the “hearts and minds” of the people, one can “win” the war. This precept, when taken in the context of 21st century insurgency, is flawed. The nature of insurgency has changed since the theory behind the population centric approach was developed as the way to counter revolutionary guerrillas. Today’s type of insurgency is transnational, non-territorial, and global in scope. In response, President Obama is revising U.S. counterinsurgency practices, moving toward a series of targeted strikes against key individuals in order to disrupt insurgent operations. This dissertation examines COIN Theory and U.S. COIN Doctrine in a contemporary context and argues the population-centric approach to classic counterinsurgency is no longer applicable. Rather, this dissertation calls for a U.S. shift toward surgical strikes against high value targets within the insurgent group organization. Referred to as “organizational amputation strikes,” these strikes are specifically designed to address the centers of gravity in both current and future transnational and non-territorial insurgencies that are global in scope. This dissertation proposes a new theoretical approach that incorporates organizational amputation strikes a viable part of an updated modern counterinsurgency doctrine. | en_US |
