Rolling back revolution : the emergence of low intensity conflict / Ivan Molloy.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Molloy, Ivan.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Low-intensity conflicts (Military science)--United States.

Low-intensity conflicts (Military science).

United States--Foreign relations--1981-1989.

United States.

United States--Foreign relations--1989-.

United States--Military policy.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (320 p.)

Place of Publication:

London ; Sterling, Va. : Pluto Press, 2001.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Ivan Molloy analyses the defacto foreign policy strategy of low intensity conflict (LIC) as propagated by the United States. He recounts how LIC emerged during the Reagan Administration as a way of counteracting the legacy left by the Vietnam War, which constrained America from getting involved in direct military intervention. Part covert, part overt, LIC was developed as a low-cost and low-risk method of dealing with revolutionary movements and post-revolutionary governments (usually Marxist) considered threatening to national interests. As such, this secretive strategy was an integral component of the Iran-Contra affair, and at the heart of the Reagan Doctrine. Molloy argues that LIC was a means of civilianising and privatising America's foreign policy. He reveals that LIC was always more of a political, rather than military, tool. The United States used LIC selectively in the 1980's to combat guerrilla movements and undermine targeted regimes to achieve its foreign policy objectives. The author uses Nicaragua and the Philippines as major case studies to analyse the profile of this multi-dimensional strategy as it emerged in the 1980's. He also demonstrates - using such examples as Cuba, Yugoslavia and East Timor - that this complex strategy is still evident today and even pursued by other states.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: Introduction 1

A Fresh Perspective 2

The Argument in a Nutshell 2

LIC in Context 7

A New Perspective 8

The Approach 10

The Scope 12

Terminology

13

1. What is LIC? 15

The Strategy's Broad Thrust 15

A Definition of Low Intensity Conflict 16

The LIC Conflict Profile 19

The Need for Context? 31

2. An Inevitable Strategy: LIC's Emergence in Context 32

Continuity and Discontinuity 32

Old and New 48

The Status of LIC 51

The Development of the Full Profile 53

An Expected Foreign Policy Initiative? 54

3. From Approach to Strategy 55

Self-Analysis and Debate: The Influence of Vietnam 55

The Debate Within the Reagan Administration and the Military 62

Evidence of LIC Gaining Coherence 65

The Strategy Emerges 70

4. The Reagan Doctrine: Selling LIC To America 72

What was the Reagan Doctrine? 73

The Reagan Doctrine as an Expression of Low Intensity Conflict 83

5. Central America: The Strategy's Proving Ground? 86

Central America as the Focus of US Foreign Policy 86

The Determinants of LIC 88

The Determinants/Preconditions for LIC 99

The Emergence of Low Intensity Conflict 102

6. Nicaragua and Revolutionary LIC 104

The Political/Psychological Dimension 104

The Economic Dimension 114

The Military Dimension 116

The Civic Action Dimension 124

Nicaragua and the Strategy of LIC 125

7. LIC in the Philippines? 127

The Determinants of the Response 128

The Need for a New Approach 132

The Reagan Administration Responds 133

The Third Way - The LIC Response 134

LIC Characteristics 134

The Collective Response 142

8. The Counter-Revolutionary Profile 143

The Political/Psychological Dimension 143

The Economic Dimension 155

The Military Dimension 156

The Civic Action Dimension - Completing the Picture 161

A Characteristic LIC Response? 163

9. LIC Continued? 167

LIC Emergent 168

The Success of Reagan's LIC? 173

An Ongoing Strategy 174.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781849641081

1849641080

9780585433714

0585433712

OCLC:

923331846