INTERAGENCY SYNERGY IN COUNTERINSURGENCY CAMPAIGNS: LESSONS FROM THE COLOMBIAN COUNTER-INSURGENCY OPERATIONS, 2007-2017.

Abstract

The paper argues that the post 9/11bombings introduced a new wave and dimension of insurgency and terrorism. The traditional pitched battles in which states were accustomed to, gave way to unconventional wars such as Military Operations Other Than War, (MOOTW), Internal Security Operations, (ISO) Low-Intensity Conflicts (LIC), etc. This change in the conduct of war required states to adopt new approaches beyond kinetics in responding to the new threat realities. Typical of the new way of fighting wars is the need for interagency collaboration through the exchange of competencies and capacities. The study attempts an incisive study of Colombia, the insurgency prevalent at the time, and the countermeasures evolved by the government against the threats. Additionally, the paper submits that interagency collaborations stood out as one of the most effective measures adopted by the government notwithstanding the difficult terrain and operational environment. Relying basically on secondary sources, the paper concludes that inter-agency cooperation as drawn from the Colombian case against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia could prove a crucial denominator in altering the dimension of counter-insurgency operations when applied within the context of the environment.