From Insurgency to Stability: Key Capabilities and Practices

This monograph is the first of two volumes that examine how countries confronting insurgencies transition from a high level of violence to a more stable situation. It identifies the procedures and capabilities that the U.S. Department of Defense, other agencies of the U.S. government, U.S. allies and partners, and international organizations require in order to support the transition from counterinsurgency to stability and reconstruction operations. During counterinsurgency, the military takes primary responsibility for security and economic operations, but when the insurgency has been reduced to a level where the state is able to perform its basic functions, police and civilian government agencies take the lead in providing security and services to the population. Successful post-counterinsurgency operations can ensure that lasting peace and stability will follow, rather than a relapse into violence.