Syllabus for Roster(s):

  • 16F ISSS 4005-101 (SCPS)
In the UVaCollab course site:   Irregular Warfare Fall 16

Full Syllabus

Draft Course Syllabus

ISSS 4005: IRREGULAR WARFARE: TERRORISTS, INSURGENTS, and TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINALS

Fall 2016

University of Virginia

Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies

Charlottesville Campus

Thursday 4-6:45 pm, Zehmer, Room B

Aug 25 – Dec 1

Instructor: Sean Edwards, Ph.D.

sje4av@virginia.edu

 

Irregular warfare is a violent struggle between state and non-state actors for legitimacy and/or influence over a relevant population. Since 1945, irregular wars waged by insurgents and terrorists have comprised 80% of all armed conflict. These types of conflicts are protracted, costly, messy, and more likely along the "arc of instability." We expect this trend to continue. This course will educate students on the history and theory behind terrorist and insurgent campaigns, with specific case studies drawn mostly from the 20th and 21st centuries, from the FLN in Algeria to the Vietcong in SE Asia to the rise of ISIS in Syria, Iraq, Libya, West Africa and elsewhere today. Students will explore the underlying political, social, economic, and other factors that lead to the birth of insurgencies and terrorist movements in the first place, the competing strategic approaches to insurgency and counterinsurgency, and explore US policy options for how we can best avoid large scale conflict in the first place by smart early intervention. We will also explore the national security threat posed by transnational criminal organizations and gangs in Central and South America. 

 

Students will be expected to take an active role in class discussions. Grades will be based upon attendance and class participation, one 5-10 page paper, one presentation to the class, and one take home essay exam. Note the emphasis on participation - 25% of the grade - so I strongly encourage you to finish the required readings in time to maximize that opportunity.

 

Instructor: Sean Edwards is currently employed by a US Government agency. He served as an airborne ranger in the US Army before attending college and has worked in a series of analytical positions for the past 15 years. He deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan as a senior advisor to ISAF Joint Command in the summer of 2011.  He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Policy Analysis from RAND, an M.A. in National Security Studies from Georgetown University, and B.A. in History and Mathematics from UVA. He has written dozens of classified assessments and published over a dozen unclassified articles and monographs on topics ranging from urban warfare to the US Army's role in space. His dissertation, Swarming and the Future of Warfare, was published by RAND in 2005.

 

Learning Outcomes

  • A comprehensive understanding of the conceptual issues associated with irregular warfare, and particularly, of insurgency, terrorism, and transnational crime.

  • Improved research, writing, and briefing skills associated with a complex analytical subject that spans multiple social science disciplines. Writing assignments are a timed essay exam and a home study research paper.

  • Basic awareness and vocabulary associated with the theory and practice of irregular warfare.

  • A basic understanding of the political, economic, social, historical, and geographical drivers of violent political instability around the world today.

Important questions to be explored and potential paper topics:

  • Why did irregular warfare come to dominate conflict after 1945?

  • What is the difference between a terrorist and an insurgent?

  • What motivates people to join terrorist or insurgent groups? Why do people become homegrown violent extremists?

  • What factors correlate with terrorist or insurgent success?

  • What are the most effective counterinsurgent and counter terrorist practices?

  • How can the US build partner capacity to defeat violent extremists?

  • How has the changing information environment affected the capability of non-state actors to engage in irregular warfare? Why are small groups and individuals becoming more empowered?

  • What explains the rise of Al Qaida and ISIS?

  • How do we choose where, when and how to counter insurgent and terrorist movements given our limited resources? In what ways can the United States intervene earlier, partner differently, and/or maintain stability in areas of strategic importance?

  • How can we effectively counter Mexican Drug Cartels and Central American gangs like MS-13?

 

Assessment Components:

Papers must be referenced and have a bibliography in a recognized format (MLA (which I use), Chicago Manual of Style, etc). See http://guides.lib.virginia.edu/stylemanuals and https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/).

 

Required Texts:

Boot, Max. Invisible Armies: An Epic History of Guerrilla Warfare from Ancient Times to the Present. New York & London: Liveright Publishing Corporation, a Division of W.W. Norton & Company, 2013. Print. (ISBN 978-0-87140-424-4).

 

Warrick, Joby. Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS. New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2015. Print. (ISBN: 978-0-385-53821-3) (Note that the paperback edition will be released on Sept. 6, 2016, in time for our class).

 

Class Requirements

Students will be expected to take an active role in class discussions. Grades will be based upon class participation, one 5-10 page paper, one 10 minute brief, and one take home essay exam (timed). Note there is no class on Nov 24.

PAPERS: Students will write one 5-10 page paper.

EXAMS: Students will complete one essay exam at home within 2 hours.

PARTICIPATION/ATTENDANCE: Given the importance of discussion, attendance is particularly important. Note that participation is 25% of your grade. If you must miss a class, please notify me by e-mail or telephone in advance, if possible. Missing class will affect the class participation grade: one missed class will have no effect on the grade, but each subsequent class missed will potentially lower the class participation grade.

READINGS: Students are expected to read the assigned readings and be prepared to discuss the various discussion questions. Recommended readings are for those of you who want to go the extra mile and share that knowledge in class discussion or use the material for the brief or paper. I have made efforts to distribute the reading equally but some issues necessarily required more reading than others. The lecture and reading schedule has been made as specific as possible to give the course structure and direction. However, realize that this schedule is subject to change to accommodate extended discussion of matters of interest for the class and to account for breaking events in Syria, etc. I am still evaluating sources for class 13.

 

Evaluation Criteria

Grades will be assigned as follows:

Level and quality of participation - 25%

First paper - 25%

Presentation - 25%

Essay exam - 25%

 

Class Schedule:

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Class 1: Thursday, Aug 25

Introduction, definitions, the terrorist-insurgency continuum, survey of ongoing conflicts and threats around the world.

Reading:

Boot, Max. Invisible Armies: An Epic History of Guerrilla Warfare from Ancient Times to the Present. New York & London: Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2013. Print. xx-xxvii, 8-12, 41-43.

 

 “Special Report: The Arab World,” The Economist 14 May 2016: 3-16.

 

Discussion Questions:

 

Why did irregular warfare come to dominate conflict after 1945?

What is the difference between a terrorist and an insurgent?

What factors led to the collapse of the Arab Order in 2011-12?

What are two stumbling blocks for democracy in the Arab world?

 

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Class 2: Thursday, Sep 1

Underlying Causes of Extremism

Reading:

United States. Agency for International Development. Guide to the Drivers of Violent Extremism. Produced by Guilain Denoeux with Lynn Carter of Management Systems International, 2009. (Skim)

 

Recommended Reading:

Silber, Mitchell d. and Arvin Bhatt. Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat. NYPD, 2007. PDF File.

 

Discussion Questions:

 

What are push versus pull factors?

What are the political, social/cultural, psychological, and economic factors that can explain radicalization?

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Class 3: Thursday, Sep 8

History of guerrilla and revolutionary warfare, classic theories of insurgency

Reading:

Shy, John and Thomas W. Collier. "Revolutionary War." Makers of Modern Strategy. Ed. Peter Paret. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1986. Print. 815-862.

 

Recommended Reading:

O’Neill, Bard E. Insurgency and Terrorism. 2nd Ed. Dulles, VA: Potomac Books, Inc., 2005. Print. 15-70.

Nagl, John. Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2002. Print. 15-33.

 

Discussion Questions:

 

What is the difference between revolutionary war and guerrilla war?

What is the intellectual heritage that Mao inherited from Caldwell, Marx, Lenin, Trotsky, and Lawrence of Arabia that helped him formulate his protracted war theory?

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Class 4: Thursday, Sep 15

Mao Zedong and the Communist Insurgency in China

Reading:

Boot, Invisible Armies, 328-346.

 

Recommended Reading:

Tse-Tung, Mao. On Guerrilla Warfare. Translated by Samuel Griffith II. New York: Praeger, 1961. Print.

 

Discussion Questions:

 

What were the factors behind the Communist Party's defeat of the Kuomintang?

What are Mao's 3 stages of protracted war?

 

Paper Outline/draft Due

 

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Class 5: Thursday, Sep 22

Wars of National Liberation: Malaya, Algeria, Vietnam

Reading:

Boot, Invisible Armies, 321-327, 364-377, 378-393, 413-426.

 

Recommended Reading:

Krepinevich, Andrew F. The Army and Vietnam. Baltimore: JHU Press, 1988. 164-214.

Nagl, Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife, 59-85, 87-111.

Asprey, Robert. War in the Shadows: The Guerrilla in History. William Morris and Company, 1994. Print. 657-684.

Horne, Alistair. A Savage War of Peace: Algeria, 1954-1962. New York: New York Review of Books, 1977. Print.

 

Discussion Questions:

 

What explains the success of the British counterinsurgency campaign in Malaya?

Was the Battle of Algiers a success for French counterinsurgents? How did the FLN eventually win in Algeria?

What explains the American defeat in Vietnam? 

 

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Class 6: Thursday, Sep 29

Counterinsurgency Practices

Reading:

Galula, David. Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice. Westport, CT: Praeger Security International, 1964. Print. 70-134.

Gentile, Gian P. “A Strategy of Tactics: Population-centric COIN and the Army.” Parameters Autumn 2009: 5-17. Print.

 

Paper Final Draft Due

 

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Class 7: Thursday, Oct 6

The 4 Waves of Modern Terrorism

Reading:

Boot, Invisible Armies, 202-264, 450-477.

Rapoport, David C. “The Fourth Wave: September 11 in the History of Terrorism.” Current History. December 2001.

 

Outline of briefing due

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Class 8: Thursday, Oct 13

The Rise of Radical Islam (Shia and Sunni) and Al Qaida

Reading:

Boot, Invisible Armies, 478-528.

 

Recommended Reading:

Wright, Lawrence. The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11. New York: Vintage Books, 2006. Print.

 

Discussion questions:

 

The United States and its partners are trying to counter ISIL’s narrative with a counter narrative. How can we develop a narrative that is as effective as ISIL’s?

 

How do the United States and the international community confront, counter, and prevent religious fanaticism? What actions are effective at countering and/or preventing radicalization? Would those actions be as effective in other countries/regions? What relevant models could be useful?

 

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Class 9: Thursday, Oct 20

Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)

Reading:

Boot, Invisible Armies, 529-546.

 

Recommended Reading:

Killcullen, David. The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print.

 

Discussion questions:

What were the key mistakes the US made after it had secured conventional victory over the Taliban in 2002 and Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003?

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Class 10: Thursday, Oct 27 -

The Rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and its Affiliates

Reading:

Warrick, Joby. Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS. New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2015. Print.

 

Recommended Reading:

McCants, William Faizi. The ISIS Apocalypse: The History, Strategy and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2015. Print.

Weiss, Michael and Hassan Hassan. ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror. New York: Regan Arts, 2015. Print.

 

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Class 11: Thursday, Nov 3

 

In class presentations!

 

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Class 12: Thursday, Nov 10

Transnational Criminals and gangs in Mexico and Central America – Part one

Reading:

Beittel, June S. Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organization. Congressional Research Service, July 2015.

 

Recommended Reading:

 

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Class 13: Thursday, Nov 17

Transnational Criminals and gangs in Mexico and Central America – Part two

Reading:

TBD

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Thursday, Nov 24

No class – Thanksgiving

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Class 14: Thursday, Dec 1

The Future of Irregular Warfare

Reading:

Killcullen, The Accidental Guerrilla, 291-301.

Paul, Christopher. "Confessions of a Hybrid Warfare Skeptic: What Might Really Be Interesting but Hidden Within the Various Conceptions of Gray Zone Conflict, Ambiguous Warfare, Political Warfare, and Their Ilk.” Small Wars Journal. Small Wars Journal LLC, 2016. Web.

Votel, Joseph L. The Grey Zone. USSOCOM White Paper, 2015.

 

 

 

 

Recommended Reading:

 “Complex Irregular Warfare: The Face of Contemporary Conflict” Military Balance. IISS, 2005. 411-420.

Hoffman, Frank. Conflict in the 21st Century: The Rise of Hybrid Wars. Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, 2007. Print. (Skim).

 

Discussion questions:

 

What is the grey zone and is it defined appropriately?

Can we distinguish between “grey zone” conflicts, political warfare, hybrid warfare, and irregular warfare?

 

How do the United States and the international community confront the root causes and grievances of gray zone challenges?  What does winning look like in the gray zone?

 

 

Take Home Essay exam due Dec 8.

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Technical Specifications: Computer Hardware

  • Computer with basic audio/video output equipment

  • Internet access (broadband recommended)

  • Microsoft Word

     

    Technical Support Contacts

  • Login/Password: scpshelpdesk@virginia.edu

    ·         UVaCollab: collab-support@virginia.edu

  • BbCollaborate (Elluminate) Support: http://support.blackboardcollaborate.com

     

    UVa Policies

    SCPS Grading Policies: Courses carrying a School of Continuing and Professional Studies subject area use the following grading system:  A+, A, A-; B+, B, B-; C+, C, C-; D+, D, D-; F.  S (satisfactory) and U (unsatisfactory) are used for some course offerings. For noncredit courses, the grade notation is N (no credit). Students who audit courses receive the designation AU (audit). The symbol W is used when a student officially drops a course before its completion or if the student withdraws from an academic program of the University. Please visit www.scps.virginia.edu/audience/students/grades for more information.

     

  • : Students are expected to attend all class sessions. Instructors establish attendance and participation requirements for each of their courses. Class requirements, regardless of delivery mode, are not waived due to a student's absence from class. Instructors will require students to make up any missed coursework and may deny credit to any student whose absences are excessive. Instructors must keep an attendance record for each student enrolled in the course to document attendance and participation in class.  

     

    University Email Policies: Students are expected to check their official UVa email addresses on a frequent and consistent basis to remain informed of University communications, as certain communications may be time sensitive. Students who fail to check their email on a regular basis are responsible for any resulting consequences.

     

    University of Virginia Honor System:  All work should be pledged in the spirit of the Honor System at the University of Virginia. The instructor will indicate which assignments and activities are to be done individually and which permit collaboration. The following pledge should be written out at the end of all quizzes, examinations, individual assignments and papers:  “I pledge that I have neither given nor received help on this examination (quiz, assignment, etc.)”.  The pledge must be signed by the student. For more information, visit www.virginia.edu/honor.

     

    Special Needs: It is the policy of the University of Virginia to accommodate students with disabilities in accordance with federal and state laws. Any SCPS student with a disability who needs accommodation (e.g., in arrangements for seating, extended time for examinations, or note-taking, etc.), should contact the Student Disability Access Center (SDAC) and provide them with appropriate medical or psychological documentation of his/her condition. Once accommodations are approved, it is the student’s responsibility to follow up with the instructor about logistics and implementation of accommodations. Accommodations for test taking should be arranged at least 14 business days in advance of the date of the test(s). Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the SDAC: 434-243-5180/Voice, 434-465-6579/Video Phone, 434-243-5188/Fax. Further policies and statements are available at www.virginia.edu/studenthealth/sdac/sdac.html

    For further policies and statements about student rights and responsibilities, please visit www.scps.virginia.edu/audience/students

     

Course Description (for ISSS 4005)

Irregular warfare is a violent struggle between state and non-state actors for legitimacy and/or influence over a relevant population. Since 1945, irregular wars waged by insurgents and terrorists have comprised 80% of all armed conflict. These types of conflicts are protracted, costly, messy, and more likely along the "arc of instability."  We expect this trend to continue. This course will educate students on the history and theory behind terrorist and insurgent campaigns, with specific case studies drawn mostly from the 20th and 21st centuries, from the FLN in Algeria to the Vietcong in SE Asia to ISIS in Syria, Iraq, Libya, West Africa and elsewhere today. Students will explore the underlying political, social, economic, and other factors that lead to the birth of insurgencies and terrorist movements in the first place, the competing strategic approaches to insurgency and counterinsurgency, and explore US policy options for how we can best avoid large scale conflict in the first place by smart early intervention. We will also explore the national security threat posed by transnational criminal organizations and gangs in Central and South America.