Countering the al-Shabaab Insurgency in Somalia: Lessons for U.S. Special Operations Forces - Mogadishu, Somali Terrorism, al-Qaeda, Relations with Ethiopia and Kenya

Nonfiction, History, Africa, Military
Cover of the book Countering the al-Shabaab Insurgency in Somalia: Lessons for U.S. Special Operations Forces - Mogadishu, Somali Terrorism, al-Qaeda, Relations with Ethiopia and Kenya by Progressive Management, Progressive Management
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Progressive Management ISBN: 9781311937919
Publisher: Progressive Management Publication: May 3, 2014
Imprint: Smashwords Edition Language: English
Author: Progressive Management
ISBN: 9781311937919
Publisher: Progressive Management
Publication: May 3, 2014
Imprint: Smashwords Edition
Language: English

It is commonly understood that a legitimate indigenous government is the sine qua non for any successful counterinsurgency campaign. This monograph, published in February 2014, is designed to serve as a tactical document for members of the special operations community outlining the way in which the international community and AMISOM can best support the Somali Federal Government now that the anti-Shabaab coalition's respective governments have made the decision to do so. It does not attempt to establish whether the policy decision to support the government is correct, as that is a question influenced by a complex set of factors beyond the scope of this document. It assumes that policymakers have calculated that the government can achieve legitimacy, and so operates under the assumption that the policy decision is correct. It further acknowledges that Somalia faces challenges to peace and stability beyond al-Shabaab—the focus of this monograph is on how to wage a counterinsurgency campaign against the group, but there are other thorny challenges beyond the insurgency that also must be addressed before the country will become stable.

This work provides a meaningful context to al-Shabaab and the Somali milieu. Al Shabaab has been pushed from all of its major strongholds by a robust international effort, and its violent Salafism has alienated many Somalis. But it still has teeth. It continues to harass coalition forces, as well as ordinary Somalis, with improvised explosive devices, suicide bombings, and assassinations. Its tactics reflect a strategic decision made by its leadership to fight a guerrilla war, a familiar role for a group that thrived by waging an anti-Ethiopian insurgency in the mid-2000s.

The work points out that the coalition has not responded with a coherent counterinsurgency campaign dedicated to maintaining and winning Somalis' support. All indications are that it failed to properly plan the best way to fight al-Shabaab's evolution, and it has made its task harder by committing a series of mistakes. Most grievously, Kenya has involved itself in tribal politics in Lower Juba, and appears to be picking favorites in a country infamous for its violent and oftentimes inscrutable clan dynamics.

Lasting peace for a unified Somalia hinges on the establishment of a highly-decentralized but viable and effective indigenous government. But some members of the coalition appear intent on pursuing their own national interests instead. Such a disunified approach badly damages the new government's legitimacy, and makes it impossible to implement a coherent counterinsurgency strategy. The government, for its part, has made little progress in breaking from the corruption and ineffectiveness that so hobbled its predecessors. It is a golden chance for al-Shabaab to pick itself up off the mat.

  1. A Brief History of Somalia and al-Shabaab * 2. Al-Shabaab Funding and Recruitment * 3. The Diminishment and Evolution of al-Shabaab * 4. The Challenges of Counterinsurgency in Somalia * 5. Assessing Counterinsurgency Efforts in Somalia * 6. Concluding Thoughts and Lessons for SOF
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

It is commonly understood that a legitimate indigenous government is the sine qua non for any successful counterinsurgency campaign. This monograph, published in February 2014, is designed to serve as a tactical document for members of the special operations community outlining the way in which the international community and AMISOM can best support the Somali Federal Government now that the anti-Shabaab coalition's respective governments have made the decision to do so. It does not attempt to establish whether the policy decision to support the government is correct, as that is a question influenced by a complex set of factors beyond the scope of this document. It assumes that policymakers have calculated that the government can achieve legitimacy, and so operates under the assumption that the policy decision is correct. It further acknowledges that Somalia faces challenges to peace and stability beyond al-Shabaab—the focus of this monograph is on how to wage a counterinsurgency campaign against the group, but there are other thorny challenges beyond the insurgency that also must be addressed before the country will become stable.

This work provides a meaningful context to al-Shabaab and the Somali milieu. Al Shabaab has been pushed from all of its major strongholds by a robust international effort, and its violent Salafism has alienated many Somalis. But it still has teeth. It continues to harass coalition forces, as well as ordinary Somalis, with improvised explosive devices, suicide bombings, and assassinations. Its tactics reflect a strategic decision made by its leadership to fight a guerrilla war, a familiar role for a group that thrived by waging an anti-Ethiopian insurgency in the mid-2000s.

The work points out that the coalition has not responded with a coherent counterinsurgency campaign dedicated to maintaining and winning Somalis' support. All indications are that it failed to properly plan the best way to fight al-Shabaab's evolution, and it has made its task harder by committing a series of mistakes. Most grievously, Kenya has involved itself in tribal politics in Lower Juba, and appears to be picking favorites in a country infamous for its violent and oftentimes inscrutable clan dynamics.

Lasting peace for a unified Somalia hinges on the establishment of a highly-decentralized but viable and effective indigenous government. But some members of the coalition appear intent on pursuing their own national interests instead. Such a disunified approach badly damages the new government's legitimacy, and makes it impossible to implement a coherent counterinsurgency strategy. The government, for its part, has made little progress in breaking from the corruption and ineffectiveness that so hobbled its predecessors. It is a golden chance for al-Shabaab to pick itself up off the mat.

  1. A Brief History of Somalia and al-Shabaab * 2. Al-Shabaab Funding and Recruitment * 3. The Diminishment and Evolution of al-Shabaab * 4. The Challenges of Counterinsurgency in Somalia * 5. Assessing Counterinsurgency Efforts in Somalia * 6. Concluding Thoughts and Lessons for SOF

More books from Progressive Management

Cover of the book Africa's Oil Coast: How the Region's Strategic Importance May Cause Operational Challenges for AFRICOM as Currently Constructed - Organizational Structure, Forces and Allocated Resources by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Fire Effects of Bombing Attacks: The Firebombing and Destruction of Hamburg and Dresden in World War II by Incendiary Attack, Fire Storms, Effectiveness of Barriers, Japanese Fire Bombing by Progressive Management
Cover of the book The History of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: From the Revolutionary War to the Space Race, West Point, Flood Control, Hydropower, Combat Operations, Panama Canal, World War I and II, Apollo by Progressive Management
Cover of the book 2008 Financial Crisis: Official Federal Reserve Meeting Transcripts Reveal New Details About Crucial Decisions, Bernanke, Yellen, Lehman Collapse, White House Report on 2009 Stimulus by Progressive Management
Cover of the book U.S. Air Force Studies on Recent Operations: UAVs, Airlift in Enduring Freedom, Aerial Combat, Manned Aircraft Combat Losses, Weather in Air Campaigns, Somalia, Response to Hurricane Katrina by Progressive Management
Cover of the book 2011 Complete Guide to Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire): Civil War and Crisis, Laurent Gbagbo, New Force Rebels, Ouattara, Yamoussoukro, Abidjan, History, Government, Politics - Authoritative Coverage by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Operational Art in Pontiac's War: 1763 Pan-Indian Movement Attack on British Forts in Great Lakes Region, Pays d'en Haut and the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, Bradstreet and Bouquet Campaigns by Progressive Management
Cover of the book The Group That Calls Itself a State: Understanding the Evolution and Challenges of the Islamic State - ISIS, ISIL, Islamic Terrorism, Parting Ways with al-Qaida, Military, Foreign Fighter Threat by Progressive Management
Cover of the book 21st Century U.S. Military Manuals: Shipboard Operations (FM 1-564) - Army Aviation Unit Operations from Navy and Coast Guard Ships (Professional Format Series) by Progressive Management
Cover of the book National Defense Intelligence College Paper: The Blue Planet - Informal International Police Networks and National Intelligence - Transnational Crime, Terrorism and Policing, Al Qaeda by Progressive Management
Cover of the book At Periscope Depth: Exploring Submarine Proliferation in Southeast Asia - Case Studies of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam - Undersea Diesel Electric Subs, Philippines and Thailand by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in the History of the U.S. Civil Space Program - Volume VII: Human Spaceflight: Projects Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo - Political and Engineering Insights by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Air Force Doctrine Document 3-13: Information Operations, Network Warfare, Electronic Warfare (EW), Information, Air and Space Superiority, Integrated Control Enablers by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Chinese Infrastructure in South Asia: A Realist and Liberal Perspective, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, PRC One Belt - One Road Strategy, Silk Road Initiative, Roads, Railways, Ports by Progressive Management
Cover of the book 2035 Air Dominance Requirements for State-on-State Conflict: Reaching and Penetrating the Battlespace, Air Defense Networks, Swarm and Saturation, Hypersonic Weapon, Metamaterials, Stealth, Micro Air by Progressive Management
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy