ABSTRACT
In 2003, as resistance to occupation intensified in Iraq, Counterinsurgency re-entered mainstream consciousness for the first time in a generation. In 2005, as the Afghan war escalated, Counterinsurgency also began to dominate the discourse of European, American and allied governments, either openly or under cover of terms like ‘the comprehensive approach’. After decades in the dark, the controversial art of counterinsurgency was suddenly thrust again into the spotlight, provoking a vigorous and rancorous debate.
