Withdrawing Under Fire: How to More Effectively Withdraw from Islamist Insurgencies

Open to the Public

Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.

Date: Thu, Apr 3, 2008 Time: 12:15pm - 02:00pm Location: Littauer Building - Belfer Center Library, Room 369

Israeli soldiers close the gate after troops left the Gaza Strip through the Kissufim Crossing into Israel early Sept. 12, 2005. Israel completed the historic pullout from the coastal territory after 38 years of military rule.

The presentation will examine past withdrawals by states from counterinsurgency operations conducted against Islamist organizations, in order to better understand how to more effectively withdraw from such insurgencies in the future. It will explore in particular the cases of the Israeli withdrawals from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and Southern Lebanon in 2000, as well as provide an overview of the (first) British withdrawal from Iraq, French withdrawal from Algeria, Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, and U.S. withdrawal from Somalia. These cases will be studied in an effort to learn from the successes and failures of each. By identifying certain commonalities amongst Islamist insurgents as well as different types of insurgencies and counterinsurgencies, the goal is to learn how to more effectively withdraw from insurgencies and limit the negative impact such a withdrawal has on the exiting party.

Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.