Rebel and insurgent groups are one of the main problems of today’s world, but they come in a variety of different styles. There are the religious groups, like Al-Qaeda, whose very engagement requires an equally ideological assault. But the battles of the future, though different from any likely to have been encountered, can still take a lesson from past battles against groups like FARC. And though FARC at one point could have toppled the government of Colombia, the recent rescue of Ingrid Betancourt and 3 American contractors shows that even the toughest rebel groups can be beaten. The question, then, is what can be learned from such operations, and they are as follows:
1. Negotiations are possible, but must always be done from a position of at least military equality or superiority. Until the Colombian military was on equal footing with FARC, its current status was impossible.
2. Force the rebel movement to shift its concerns to mainly those of operations. If the rebel movement has to worry about sources of funding rather than its ideological aims, it can become isolated from the original populace that supported it.
3. Offer a way out for former rebel members that is relatively easy. This will allow the ability to quickly rob the rebel movement of potential members.
4. Economic growth stops rebellions. With the prospect of economic advancement groups have no reason to overthrow a government.
These are the lessons that have been learned from FARC. Hopefully they can be applied to other groups like Al-Qaeda in the future.
