Publication

This issue looks at counterinsurgency campaigns in Iraq, Yemen, Egypt and Algeria to examine the difficulties that governments in the Middle East and North Africa face when trying to eliminate insurgencies. The author argues that in many Arab countries insurgencies are the result of political exclusion and reflect the lack of channels through which individuals can voice their criticism of central governments. He then contends that these countries often respond to insurgencies with military means, something that not only overlooks the political factors driving the insurgency, but also limits the government's ability to protect and work with their populations when attempting to separate insurgents from the rest of society. This often leads to an increase in violence over time.