A kinder gentler counterterrorism: counterinsurgency, human security and the war on terror

The current US counterinsurgency approach, introduced in 2006, has been highlighted as representing a
significant shift in the US military’s approach to operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Restraint in the use of
force, a focus on development projects and increased awareness of local cultures might be interpreted as
signalling the emergence of a more reflective and empathetic US military, with greater acceptance of human
security principles. This article contests such an interpretation, arguing that US counterinsurgency contains
a range of characteristics that render it an unsuitable tool for addressing the underlying social and political
problems of Iraq or Afghanistan, as well as an inappropriate platform for the realization of human security
principles. Counterinsurgency retains a significant role for high-impact war-fighting, remains firmly embedded
within the narrative of the War on Terror, and is likely to lead to the disempowerment of local populations.
Taken together, these interlinked characteristics make the US counterinsurgency model an unlikely vehicle
for the development of a long-term positive peace in the societies within which it is being applied and risks
seriously compromising the credibility of future attempts to help protect the security and well-being of
individuals and groups beyond one’s own national borders.