DavidKilcullenisoneoftheworld’smostinfluentialexpertsoncounterinsurgencyandmodernwarfare,aground-breakingtheoristwhoseideas“arerevolutionizingmilitarythinkingthroughoutthewest“(WashingtonPost).Indeed,hisvisionofmodernwarfarepowerfullyinfluencedAmerica’sdecisiontorethinkitsmilitarystrategyinIraqandimplement“theSurge,“nowrecognizedasadramaticsuccess.InTheAccidentalGuerrilla,KilcullenprovidesaremarkablyfreshperspectiveontheWaronTerror.Kilcullentakesus“ontheground“touncoverthefaceofmodernwarfare,illuminatingboththebigglobalwar(the“WaronTerrorism“)anditsrelationtotheassociated“smallwars“acrosstheglobe:Iraq,Afghanistan,Indonesia,Thailand,thePakistanitribalzones,EastTimorandthehornofAfrica.Kilcullenseestoday’sconflictsasacomplexinterweavingofcontrastingtrends--localinsurgenciesseekingautonomycaughtupinabroaderpan-Islamiccampaign--smallwarsinthemidstofabigone.HewarnsthatAmerica’sactionsinthewaronterrorismhavetendedtoconflatethesetrends,blurringthedistinctionbetweenlocalandglobalstrugglesandthusenormouslycomplicatingourchallenges.Indeed,theUShaddoneapoorjobofapplyingdifferenttacticstotheseverydifferentsituations,continuallymisidentifyinginsurgentswithlimitedaimsandlegitimategrievances--whomhecalls“accidentalguerrillas“--aspartofacoordinatedworldwideterrornetwork.Wemustlearnhowtodisentanglethesestrands,developstrategiesthatdealwithglobalthreats,avoidlocalconflictswherepossible,andwinthemwherenecessary.ColoredwithgrippingbattlefieldexperiencesthatrangefromthejunglesandhighlandsofSoutheastAsiatothemountainsoftheAfghanistan-PakistanbordertothedustytownsoftheMiddleEast,TheAccidentalGuerrillawill,quitesimply,changethewaywethinkaboutwar.Thisbookisamustreadforeveryoneconcernedaboutthewaronterror.
