ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates that the idea of taking the gloves off in response to anything from a small scale local insurgency up to and including the threat of global terrorism, is politically ill-advised, militarily counter-productive and, in simple terms, just plain bad strategy. British counter-insurgency (COIN) doctrine, built on a huge amount of experience in small wars, contends that this type of attritional response will be counter productive. Rather than simply trying to liquidize as many insurgents as possible through the application of massive force, the British approach has been to prefer a slightly softer approach and the application of the minimum amount of force required to do the job. British COIN doctrine has been shaped by such experiences and now clearly recognizes that there will never be a purely military solution to an insurgency. Defeating any insurgency requires a mixture of political, economic, psychological and military means.
