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    Guerrilla Warfare Tactics In Urban Environments
    Guerrilla Warfare Tactics In Urban Environments
    Guerrilla Warfare Tactics In Urban Environments
    Ebook87 pages1 hour

    Guerrilla Warfare Tactics In Urban Environments

    By Major Patrick D. Marques

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    Current Special Forces doctrine is very limited concerning the conduct of guerrilla warfare combat operations in urban environments. The focus of the current doctrine is on conducting combat operations in rural environments. The material available on urban environments is defined in broad terms primarily focused on the larger picture of unconventional warfare. Some considerations and characteristics of urban tactical operations are addressed but are so general they could be applied to a conventional infantry unit as easily as to a guerrilla force. Traditionally, Special Forces guerrilla warfare doctrine has focused on its conduct in a rural environment as historically, most guerrilla movements have formed, operated, and been supported outside of the cities. Increasing world urbanization is driving the "center of gravity" of the resistance, the populace and their will to resist, into urban settings. As populations have gravitated to the cities on every continent, the ability to prosecute a successful guerrilla war has often depended on the ability to conduct combat operations in these environments. Predominantly, the aspects of unconventional warfare that were executed in urban settings were those such as intelligence activities, recruiting, sabotage, or subversion. Guerrilla warfare combat operations were done in urban environments only when absolutely necessary.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTannenberg Publishing
    Release dateAug 15, 2014
    ISBN9781782893172
    Guerrilla Warfare Tactics In Urban Environments

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      Book preview

      Guerrilla Warfare Tactics In Urban Environments - Major Patrick D. Marques

      SCIENCE

      TABLE OF CONTENTS

      Contents

      TABLE OF CONTENTS 4

      ABSTRACT 5

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 6

      ACRONYMS 7

      CHAPTER 1 — INTRODUCTION 8

      CHAPTER 2 — LITERATURE REVIEW 11

      Special Forces Doctrine 11

      General Urban Guerrilla Warfare Literature 12

      Case-Study Specific Literature 12

      The Irish Republican Army (1969-Present) 12

      The Mujahideen in Soviet-Occupied Afghanistan (1979-1989) 13

      The Chechen Rebels in the Battles for Grozny (1994 and 2000) 14

      CHAPTER 3 — RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 15

      Criteria 15

      Legal considerations used as criteria: 17

      CHAPTER 4 — ANALYSIS 18

      The IRA 18

      The Mujahideen in Afghanistan 21

      The Chechen Rebels in Grozny 25

      Current Special Forces Doctrine 28

      CHAPTER 5 — CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 30

      Research Interpretation Conclusions 30

      Significance of Conclusions 32

      Recommendations for Further Study 32

      REFERENCE LIST 33

      ABSTRACT

      GUERRILLA WARFARE TACTICS IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS by MAJ Patrick D. Marques, 57 pages.

      Current Special Forces doctrine is very limited concerning the conduct of guerrilla warfare combat operations in urban environments. The focus of the current doctrine is on conducting combat operations in rural environments. The material available on urban environments is defined in broad terms primarily focused on the larger picture of unconventional warfare. Some considerations and characteristics of urban tactical operations are addressed but are so general they could be applied to a conventional infantry unit as easily as to a guerrilla force. Traditionally, Special Forces guerrilla warfare doctrine has focused on its conduct in a rural environment as historically, most guerrilla movements have formed, operated, and been supported outside of the cities. Increasing world urbanization is driving the center of gravity of the resistance, the populace and their will to resist, into urban settings. As populations have gravitated to the cities on every continent, the ability to prosecute a successful guerrilla war has often depended on the ability to conduct combat operations in these environments. Predominantly, the aspects of unconventional warfare that were executed in urban settings were those such as intelligence activities, recruiting, sabotage, or subversion. Guerrilla warfare combat operations were done in urban environments only when absolutely necessary.

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      Several people assisted me in the completion of this thesis. First and foremost were my committee members. LTC Taylor Beattie, Dr. James Willbanks, and MAJ Susan Mitchell provided a tremendous amount of advice and assistance throughout the process. Others who deserve attention are Mr. Kevin Shea, Mr. Timothy Thomas, Mr. Lester Grau, LTC Angus Fay, and many of the staff members of the Combined Arms Research Library on Fort Leavenworth.

      ACRONYMS

      ASU—Active Service Units

      DA—Department of the Army

      DoD—Department of Defense

      DRA—Democratic Republic of Afghanistan

      FM—Field Manual

      INLA—Irish National Liberation Army

      IRA—Irish Republican Army

      PIRA—Provisional Irish Republican Army

      RIRA—Real Irish Republican Army

      RPG—rocket propelled grenade

      RUC—Royal Ulster Constabulary

      TTP—tactics, techniques, and procedures

      US—United States

      UW—unconventional warfare

      CHAPTER 1 — INTRODUCTION

      The topic of this thesis is Guerrilla Warfare Tactics in Urban Environments. It examines the tactics and techniques used in combat operations by various guerrilla forces in urban environments. Although traditional guerrilla warfare has been primarily a rural endeavor, as populations have gravitated to the cities on every continent the ability to prosecute a successful guerrilla war has often depended on the ability to conduct combat operations in these environments. However, the question remains whether Special Forces doctrine has kept up with this phenomenon by addressing the employment of guerrilla forces in combat operations in urban environments. Urban guerrilla warfare is not a new idea, and has been primarily a means to support, draw attention away from, or accompany the primary guerrilla forces operating in the rural areas. As a result, the historical actions of guerrillas that were predominantly executed in urban settings, and thus addressed in Special Forces doctrine, were those such as intelligence activities, recruiting, sabotage, or subversion. No doubt these activities should continue to be utilized in this fashion in the future when applicable. Little focus has been given to guerrilla warfare combat operations in urban environments as they were conducted only when absolutely necessary due to the inherent risks of attacking military or police forces in the cities. However, the end of the twentieth century has shown a significant increase in urban guerrilla warfare combat operations throughout the world, most often as a necessary means to prosecute the war. The guerrilla survives and succeeds by his dependence upon the populace and their support of his actions. In many areas of the world, and most often in the least developed countries, the populace has increasingly moved into and around the cities as the communities have shifted from rural-based to urban-based societies (Taw 1994). The guerrilla must do the same if he is to gain their material and moral support. If the guerrillas of a US-sponsored insurgency have been forced closer to or within urban areas to accomplish their mission then Special Forces units must be prepared to organize, train, advise, assist, and employ them in the conduct of guerrilla combat operations in the cities.

      This thesis will focus on guerrilla warfare combat operations (ambush, raid, and sniper operations) conducted in urban environments. Ancillary activities such as reconnaissance, collaboration with the populace, and command and control will be addressed as they pertain to the guerrillas’ accomplishment of their combat operations. It will not be addressing intelligence activities, sabotage, subversion, guerrilla logistical support and/or caching, training, or basing considerations. All of these areas are

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