Operational Issues of Insurgency/Counter Insurgency: The Maccabean Revolt

摘要

The Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire was a classic example of asuccessful insurgency. Though it occurred 2,000 years ago, it contains many elements of modern leftist insurgencies. The conflict demonstrates that the nature of insurgency, like the nature of war as a whole, is timeless. For although the characteristics of conflict may change, the nature of warfare is unchanging. This monograph examines the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire as a case study of insurgency from the religious right. It attempts to highlight the nature of an insurgency from the religious right, and the differences with insurgencies originating from the secular left. The Monograph begins with a review of U.S. Army doctrine for Counter Insurgency. This is followed by an operational narrative of the revolt using the doctrine as a frame work for analysis. The monograph concludes that while there are many similarities between insurgencies from the religious right and secular left, there are fundamental differences. These differences are caused by the synergistic interaction of religious ideology with the root causes of conflict. This creates a paradox of religious ideology coupled to secular objectives. For most revolts from the religious right do not draw their ideology and objectives purely from issues of faith. Rather, their ideology and objectives are a mixture of religious beliefs, secular grievances and the violence, hatred and enmity that grow out of the struggle. The keys to defeating a revolt from the religious right, which the Seleucid Empire failed to do, are first to de-couple the religious from the secular issues, and second to avoid excessive use of force which normally drives more people into the insurgency.