A unified general framework of insurgency using a living systems approach

109 Pages·2007·0.68 MB·English

by  Kendall, Shanece L.

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2008-06
A unified general framework of insurgency
using a living systems approach
Kendall, Shanece L.
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
http://hdl.handle.net/10945/4121
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NAVAL
POSTGRADUATE
SCHOOL

MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA

THESIS

A UNIFIED GENERAL FRAMEWORK OF INSURGENCY
USING A LIVING SYSTEMS APPROACH

by

Shanece L. Kendall

June 2008

Thesis Advisor: Gordon H. Bradley
Second Reader: David L. Alderson
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June 2008 Master’s Thesis
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A Unified General Framework of Insurgency Using a Living Systems Approach
6. AUTHOR(S) Shanece L. Kendall
7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION
Naval Postgraduate School REPORT NUMBER
Monterey, CA 93943-5000
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13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words)

This thesis develops a unified general framework of insurgency. The framework is “unifying” in that it
includes all the physical and social science formulations of insurgencies and both contemporary and historical
insurgencies. It is “general” in that it describes all insurgencies rather than a specific one. This thesis first redefines
the definition of insurgency in the context of the twenty-first century and addresses the military, political, social, and
economic elements. Next, it adopts the view that an insurgency is a living system. This idea is based on the
characteristic that every insurgency consists of a group of people embedded in a larger society. Using this concept,
this thesis argues that James Grier Miller’s Living Systems Theory, from his book Living Systems, is the most fitting
theory to study insurgency. To demonstrate the framework’s effectiveness, it is applied to the Iraq Sunni Insurgency.
The framework is used to describe the structure of the insurgency system using three levels—insurgency, Improvised
Explosive Device (IED) Unit, and IED Cell—and the twenty critical subsystems that process information and matter-
energy in the insurgency’s IED Cell. This framework should help clarify, focus, and support the current debates
about policy, operations, and tactics for insurgencies.

14. SUBJECT TERMS Insurgency, Iraq, Sunni, Living Systems Theory, James Grier Miller, 15. NUMBER OF
Systems, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) PAGES
108
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Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

A UNIFIED GENERAL FRAMEWORK OF INSURGENCY USING A LIVING
SYSTEMS APPROACH

Shanece L. Kendall
Ensign, United States Navy
B.S., United States Naval Academy, 2007

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED SCIENCE
(OPERATIONS RESEARCH)

from the

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
June 2008

Author: Shanece L. Kendal

Approved by: Gordon H. Bradley
Thesis Advisor

David L. Alderson
Second Reader

James N. Eagle
Chairman, Department of Operations Research
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ABSTRACT
This thesis develops a unified general framework of insurgency. The framework
is “unifying” in that it includes all the physical and social science formulations of
insurgencies and both contemporary and historical insurgencies. It is “general” in that it
describes all insurgencies rather than a specific one. This thesis first redefines the
definition of insurgency in the context of the twenty-first century and addresses the
military, political, social, and economic elements. Next, it adopts the view that an
insurgency is a living system. This idea is based on the characteristic that every
insurgency consists of a group of people embedded in a larger society. Using this
concept, this thesis argues that James Grier Miller’s Living Systems Theory, from his
book Living Systems, is the most fitting theory to study insurgency. To demonstrate the
framework’s effectiveness, it is applied to the Iraq Sunni Insurgency. The framework is
used to describe the structure of the insurgency system using three levels—insurgency,
Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Unit, and IED Cell—and the twenty critical
subsystems that process information and matter-energy in the insurgency’s IED Cell.
This framework should help clarify, focus, and support the current debates about policy,
operations, and tactics for insurgencies.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................1
A. PURPOSE OF RESEARCH ...........................................................................1
B. THESIS ORGANIZATION............................................................................5
II. DESCRIBING AND DEFINING INSURGENCY....................................................7
A. OVERVIEW.....................................................................................................7
B. CURRENT DEFINITION OF INSURGENCY ............................................7
C. INSURGENCY REDEFINED ......................................................................14
D. ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO DESCRIBING INSURGENCY...16
1. Social Networks..................................................................................16
2. Sociobiology ........................................................................................20
3. Ecology................................................................................................23
4. Complex Adaptive Systems...............................................................25
E. SUMMARY ....................................................................................................28
III. MILLER’S BACKGROUND AND LIVING SYSTEMS THEORY ....................31
A. OVERVIEW...................................................................................................31
B. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF JAMES MILLER ...........................32
C. THE LEGACY OF LIVING SYSTEMS.......................................................33
D. THREE CENTRAL CONCEPTS ................................................................35
1. Space and Time ..................................................................................35
2. Matter and Energy.............................................................................37
3. Information.........................................................................................37
E. LIVING SYSTEM DEFINED ......................................................................37
F. PROPERTIES OF LIVING SYSTEMS ......................................................39
1. Organizationally Open, but Energetically Closed ..........................39
2. Maintains Equilibrium ......................................................................39
3. Combats Entropy...............................................................................40
4. Possesses a Template..........................................................................40
5. Possesses Subsystems.........................................................................40
6. Contains a Decider.............................................................................42
7. Possesses Integrated Subsystems......................................................42
G. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EIGHT LEVELS OF LIVING
SYSTEMS.......................................................................................................43
1. Structure .............................................................................................43
2. Processes .............................................................................................43
3. Subsystems..........................................................................................44
4. Relationships ......................................................................................44
5. System Processes ................................................................................45
H. SUMMARY ....................................................................................................47
IV. STRUCTURE OF IRAQ SUNNI INSURGENCY .................................................49
A. OVERVIEW...................................................................................................49
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