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Locals rule : historical lessons for creating local defense forces for Afghanistan and beyond /

"Local defense forces have played a key role in counterinsurgencies throughout the 20th century. With the recent development of the Afghan Local Police (ALP) as a major part of the U.S.-led counterinsurgency campaign in Afghanistan, lessons learned from earlier efforts to build local defense ha...

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Bibliographic Details
Corporate Author: National Defense Research Institute (U.S.)
Other Authors: Long, Austin G.
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: Santa Monica, CA : RAND, 2012.
Series:Rand Corporation monograph series.
Subjects:
Counterinsurgency > Case studies.
Paramilitary forces > Case studies.
Militia > Case studies.
Combined operations (Military science) > Case studies.
Internal security > Case studies.
Online Access:Link to electronic resource
(Summary)
Table of Contents:
  • Executive summary
  • Historical examples of local defense forces in COIN campaigns
  • Comparative analysis and lessons learned
  • Applying these lessons to Afghanistan
  • Acknowledgments
  • Glossary, list of symbols, etc.
  • Introduction
  • Indochina
  • The organization of auxiliary forces
  • Special purpose auxiliaries
  • Auxiliaries and the end of the French war
  • Motivations for using auxiliaries
  • Assessment
  • Conclusion
  • Algeria
  • Local defense in the Maghreb
  • Evolution of the different forces
  • The Evian accords and the fate of local defense forces
  • Assessment
  • Conclusion
  • South Vietnam
  • Civilian irregular defense groups
  • Combined action platoons
  • RF/PFs, PSDF, and the Accelerated Pacification Campaign
  • Conclusion and assessment
  • Oman
  • Oman, Dhofar, and Britain before 1970
  • The coup and emergence of local defense, 1970-1971
  • The tide turns and local defense matures, 1972-1974
  • Victory and transformation of the Firqats, 1975-1985
  • Conclusion and assessment
  • El Salvador
  • Problems of civil defense
  • Conclusion and assessment
  • Southern Lebanon
  • Israeli operations and the evolution of the security zone
  • 1978-1982: the consolidation of the Free Lebanon Army
  • 1982-2000: expansion, professionalization, and collapse
  • Conclusion and assessment
  • The Soviets in Afghanistan
  • Modernity beckons: Afghanistan in the 1970s
  • A house divided: the Afghan government 1980-1987
  • Local defense in the DRA, 1980-1987
  • Soviet "surge" and withdrawal: 1987-1989
  • Najibullah's tight rope 1990-1991
  • Kabul burning, 1992-1993
  • Conclusion and assessment
  • Iraq
  • Early local defense forces in Anbar province (2005/2006)
  • The Anbar awakening and the Sons of Iraq
  • Reintegrating the Sons of Iraq (2008/2009)
  • Strengths of local defense in Iraq
  • Conclusion and assessment
  • Lessons learned from historical cases and applications to the Afghan local police
  • Lessons learned
  • Lesson one: Manage the trilateral relationship
  • Lesson two: Capitalize on intelligence collection
  • Lesson three: beware of local history
  • Lesson four: Maintain relationships with conventional security forces
  • Lesson five: Leverage other government agencies
  • Lesson six: Transition forces with care
  • Lesson seven: Avoid insurgent strongholds
  • Other lessons
  • Local defense in Afghanistan after 2008
  • Conclusion: The application of lessons to Afghan local police.