SIR ROBERT THOMPSON'S COUNTERINSURGENCY CONCEPTS

Defeating Communist Insurgency by Sir Robert Thompson presents a broader perspective on counterinsurgency. Of particular interest are three of the six principles he offers as essential for defeating the guerrilla. He says the government must develop a plan that covers all facets of the insurgency, i.e. social, political, administrative, police, and economic. He stresses the importance of addressing all of these facets in a mutually supporting way. Of particular note is his emphasis on the need to ensure that after military operations have been conducted in a specific area, civic action programs are initiated. If they do not, he warns, the military action will be of little value. Another important principle is the need for the focus of effort to be on the political subversion. He emphasizes the need to isolate the entire insurgent organization (political and guerrilla) from the population. Also, the guerrillas must be separated from their own political infrastructure. The political infrastructure, he says, must maintain contact with the people in order to secure supplies, intelligence and new recruits. Once separated the political insurgents will be forced to expose themselves in an effort to reestablish contact with the population. When this occurs the police should be prepared to arrest or kill those insurgents they can identify. In turn, the guerrillas must be separated from the political infrastructure. This is where they get their support. Also, as the infrastructure begins to lose personnel the guerrillas will be forced to provide replacements within the infrastructure. Guerrillas will also be forced to attempt to make contact with the population for support. So, they too will be forced to expose themselves to make contact, resulting in open combat with government forces. Once contact is prevented, Thompson explains, the guerrillas will be forced away from populated areas and will break down into smaller units in order to survive because of the paucity of support.

The last principle of Thompson's to be addressed is the establishment of base areas for the government. These base areas must be secure areas from which the government can branch out. This process begins in the more populated and developed areas. These areas are of the most importance to the government and Thompson says these are much easier to control. Because these areas are relatively easy to secure, the initial efforts will be successful, which develops confidence in the counterinsurgency from the people and the government. The rural areas which are less populated and developed cannot be addressed initially. He warns that the government may have to accept guerrilla control in these areas. The government's influence and counterinsurgency efforts can then slowly spread in small increments from these base areas. The insurgents begin to lose areas of influence and are slowly pushed away from their life's blood, the people, into less and less populated areas.

Thompson, like Clutterbuck, calls for the police to serve as the primary intelligence agency. He notes their proximity to the people and the pervasiveness of the police throughout a nation. He also believes that their focus should be where the local infrastructure among the people meets the combatant guerrillas. In terms of the military his thinking mirrors Clutterbuck's. The military provides security and attempts to keep the guerrillas on the move and organized only in small groups. He calls for company and platoon operations as opposed to grand scale operations. The military's place is in the field engaging guerrillas, not in the populated areas. Thompson describes several points concerning counterinsurgency operations. He says,'.. .there will be four definite stages...clearing, holding, winning and won.'(18:111) In clearing, the military and police force the guerrillas out of the area to be secured. Next, hold operations are conducted to eliminate the political infrastructure and to keep the guerrillas from the people. Imposition of population and movement controls occur at this point. Once the government has reestablished itself, the winning phase begins. At this point, Thompson says, the government must begin strong efforts to provide an improved social and economic environment, i.e. schools, agricultural improvement, clinics, etc. The won phase occurs when the support of the people for the government is instated and the guerrillas have been pushed well away from the area.

Thompson, a recognized expert on counterinsurgency, had marked impact on one senior Marine, Lieutenant General Krulak and Marine activities bear this out.