Abstract

How do counterinsurgents cultivate intelligence sources within insurgencies? Few scholars have examined this process systematically. In this paper, I find that the dominant framework for information provision in civil war, in which territorial control governs the flow of information, is inapplicable to intelligence infiltration. I forward a plausible alternative framework. I argue that presence and two specific types of capacity, local expertise and secrecy, enable counterinsurgents to penetrate insurgencies through the use of principal agents. Conventional wisdom about territorial control, and the mechanisms it sets in motion, has limited bearing on this process. I compare the performance of the existing framework and mine across three areas within a single case, the Vietnam War. I also discuss my framework in the context of U.S. intelligence efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ultimately, I demonstrate that intelligence infiltration is difficult to achieve but can have a profound impact on civil wars.

Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call