Abstract
Counter-insurgency warfare in the 21st century has morphed from an attrition focus to an explicit, concentrated attempt to capture the support of the general population of the host country. The principal efforts by coalition forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan, for example, are concerned with nation building, infrastructure development and enhancement, reinforcing the effectiveness of national military and police forces to improve population security, and motivating the host population with health, educational and jobs programs. Attrition-oriented activities are more or less restricted to the insurgency leadership. The insurgents, on the other hand, concentrate on terrorizing elements of the population who cooperate with the coalition, producing a steady (albeit small) stream of coalition casualties, and competing for the allegiance of the locals with material subsidies. Since neither side is attempting to reduce the opposition force by attrition, the conflict becomes one of endurance. It is a struggle pitting the allegiance of the host people against the patience of the underlying coalition force domestic population. The other characteristic of 21st century counter-insurgency is that it is increasingly complex with numerous players. An incomplete list is:
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