ABSTRACT
Counterinsurgency wars differ from conventional wars in that they involve different kinds of enemies: a conventional war pits two trained, organized, well-equipped militaries against each other, whereas a counterinsurgency war pits an organized military against an unregulated configuration of fighters who rely on civilians and often live among them. These fighters use a variety of guerrilla tactics with more or less sophistication. Soldiers on one side face “rebels” or “insurgents” on the other, who might wear uniforms but might also dress in civilian clothing. The battleground for insurgency can be anywhere, can shift at any time, and can be in or near civilian areas. Since they are facing superior forces in terms of equipment and training, insurgency forces rely on the element of surprise. The U.S. war against Iraq in 2003 started as a conventional war between U.S. forces and the Iraqi forces under Saddam Hussein, but with the defeat of the Iraqi army the U.S. military began to describe it as a counterinsurgency effort, which required a change in strategy.
