Syllabus
Introduction
Defining insurgency
Defining Violent Non-State Actors
Why people rebel: Understanding the causes of insurgency
How insurgency is supported
The ideology of Salafi-jihadism
Mid-term test
Counterinsurgency strategies: Hearts and minds vs. brutalization
Case Study I: Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)
Case Study II: Hezbollah
Case Study III: Daesh
Case Study IV: Al-Shabaab
Annotation
The course offers students complex information on the phenomena of insurgency and counterinsurgency, with an emphasis on jihadist groups. It examines the roots of violent mobilisation to insurgent groups and analyses strategies which counterinsurgents utilise to suppress insurgencies, such as: a) winning "hearts and minds" of local population, b) brutalisation or c) deployment of domestic forces to break local support for insurgents.
The course also conveys information on a number of case studies which demonstrate the phenomena in vogue, helping students to better grasp the topic.