Jungle of Snakes : A Century of Counterinsurgency Warfare From the Philippines to Iraq

The end of the cold war promised a new era of international peace. Instead, violence has proliferated across the globe. What does history tell us about how this conflict will play out? Noted military historian James R. Arnold delivers an engrossing narrative history of a century of counterinsurgent warfare. Analyzing past campaigns—the United States in the Philippines, the British in Malaya, the French in Algeria, and the United States in Vietnam—Arnold traces patterns of victory and defeat. Patience, determination, and adaptability are needed—an epilogue examines the occupation of Iraq, where America, to its cost, ignored the lessons of history. Jungle of Snakes is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the ongoing worldwide conflict the Pentagon calls the "Long War." The end of the Cold War promised a new, more peaceful era was at hand. But with the escalation of violence by terrorists, insurgents, and guerillas, former CIA director James Woolsey said'After forty-five years of fighting a dragon we finally killed it, and now instead, we find ourselves standing in a jungle with a bunch of snakes.'The emergence of a fresh set of conflicts has forced militaries across the world to reevaluate their strategies or risk never-ending conflicts with insurgencies. James Arnold traces the successes and failures of counter-insurgency in the 20th century. He examines the US in the Philippines, the British in Malaysia, the France in Algeria, and the US in Vietnam, with an epilogue that looks at Iraq, where American generals are striving to apply the lessons of the previous conflicts. In A Jungle Full of Snakes, Arnold shows that the tug of war over civilian support and the build up of a strong central government are crucial victories for any attempted counter-insurgency. A former CIA director presents a history of modern warfare that evaluates how the post-cold war era has been fraught by such challenges as terrorism, insurgency and guerilla tactics, in an account that also discusses America's struggles for civilian support and the nation's failure to learn from past mistakes throughout the occupation of Iraq. Reprint.