Insurgency End Date

     I'm sorry to report a new revelation today.  The insurgency has no end date.  There will be no point after which the insurgents will find it impossible to continue.  That puts me in the oddball position of advocating 1) ignoring insurgents (identify,disarm,release), 2) targetting leaders for capture (hand receipts to peers?) 3)insurgent leader education (not interrogation) and 4) release into government.

     One, although it might be obvious that there is nothing that has to make the insurgency stop, I didn't see it till I was rereading President SG Cleveland's last State of the Union, which is mostly a discussion of the Cuban insurgency against Spanish authority.  The speech is called American Interests in the Cuban Revolution, and it should be noted that Cleveland was keeping America out of a war.

     As for re-integration of insurgent leaders, giving them government jobs, this follows the American experience with Shays rebellion.  Western farmers rose up, fought, and then found themselves elected.

     Identify, disarm and release is sneaky, and the military will hate it.  It risks our lives to try to gain trust and stability.  No second chances need be proffered.  The most severe of punishments can contemplated for repeat offenders.  In Arabic "Surrender.  You may hurt one of us, you may even kill one of us, but there are hundreds of thousands of us, and, if this battle goes on, we will kill you.  [Even now, we surround you.]  Come out, we will identify you, take your guns, and let you go."  Although the risks after the event exist from this same insurgent, his death won't inspire his relatives to take up arms.  His death won't add fuel to the fire.  And, possibly, the humane treatment, the forgiving nature, will both resemble the religion the occupiers claim, but also shake the heads of the insurgents, who really could care less for Beheading TV or propaganda that does not impact the ground situation.