Theory of Irregular War

From Afghanistan to Angola, Indonesia to Iran, and Colombia to Congo, violent reactions erupt, states collapse, and militaries relentlessly pursue operations doomed to fail. And yet, no useful theory exists to explain this common tragedy. All over the world, people and states clash violently outside their established political systems, as unfulfilled demands of control and productivity bend the modern state to a breaking point. This book lays out how dysfunctional governments disrupt social orders, make territory insecure, and interfere with political-economic institutions. These give rise to a form of organized violence against the state known as irregular war. Research reveals why this frequent phenomenon is so poorly understood among conventional forces in those conflicts and the states who send their children to die in them.

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents Acknowledgments Preface Part I: Thinking About Irregular 1. Enemies of the State Existing Theoretical Frameworks A Note on Method A Note on Sources Structure of the Book 2. A Framework of Thought, Action, and Justice A School of Thought and Action John Rawls and the Theory of Justice The Functional Sovereign The Dysfunctional Sovereign Violent Resistance and the Dysfunctional Sovereign ‘Asabiyyah and Anomie 3. The Structure of Irregular War Theories and Philosophies of War, or “On Clausewitz” Irregular War: A Social, Territorial, and Political Affair Irregular War and Social Order Irregular War and Sovereign Territory Irregular War and ­Political-Economic Institutions The Conduct of Irregular War Structures of Conflict: Insurgency and Revolution Part II: The Synecdoche Trap 4. Problems of Scope, Method, Bias, and Character Problem One: Scope Problem Two: “Methodismus” Problem Three: Bias Problem Four: Character The Human Element 5. Conventional War Theory and Regular Wars Law and Doctrine Doctrinal Disconnect Wars, Conventional and Regular 6. Conventional Forces in Irregular Wars Combatting Bandits in Small Wars A French Vision of Disaster The British Method American Force Suppression and Destruction ­Third-Party Intervention Part III: A Theory of Irregular 7. Irregular War Conditions Conditions of Social Order and Sovereign Dysfunction Conditions of Sovereign Territory and Sovereign Dysfunction Conditions of ­Political-Economic Institutions and Sovereign Dysfunction 8. The Elements: People, Politics, and Propaganda Thinkers and Actors The Why Wings of Resistance Ideology and the Message 9. A Dialectic of Irregular War The Intersection of People and the State The State and Its Enemies Irregular Wars and Sovereign Dysfunction Concluding Irregular Wars Chapter Notes References Index

About the Author :
Jonathan W. Hackett is a U.S. Marine with two decades of experience. He has held positions at the Defense Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, Marine Forces Special Operations Command, and the Marine Corps operating forces prior to teaching full spectrum human intelligence operations and security cooperation in Dam Neck, Virginia.

Review :
“If Jonathan Hackett’s Theory of Irregular War had been available in the early 2000s, we might have taken far more thoughtful approaches in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and the many other conflicts of the post-9/11 era. Hackett weaves together his ground-up experience with a ruthless academic critique of contemporary theory and practice in what will surely be essential reading for the inevitable irregular wars to come.”—Dr. Ben Connable, author of How Insurgencies End “Analytically rigorous and methodologically sound, Hackett's work is a precious contribution to the literature on irregular war. Theorizing, especially in social studies, is not for the faint-hearted, but Hackett accomplishes that mission with grace and humility.”—Bilal Y. Saab, former senior advisor in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, author of Rebuilding Arab Defense “Jonathan Hackett has written a riveting case study of irregular warfare, absolutely breathtaking in its research depth.”—Owen West, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict “Jonathan Hackett advances a provocative theory of irregular warfare in this brilliantly structured, and rigorously researched book. His firsthand experiences in fighting irregular wars coupled with his scholarly excellence results in an elegant, engaging, and convincing argument. This book should transform how scholars study irregular wars and how practitioners prepare for it.”—Dr. Sandor Fabian, chair of engagements at the Irregular Warfare Center.