The Basilan Model

After five years in Iraq, the United Statesis looking fora better way to conductcounterinsurgency operations. The successful employment of the"BasilanModel"inthe Muslim-dominated region of the southern Philippines offers valuable insights in combating insurgents who use terrorism to achieve their goals. Senior policy-makers can, andshould, use this model in otherconflicts, but must first understandthe conditions that allowed for its successand either replicate them or construct conditions that create the same effects. Thiscase study analyzes the "conditions" surrounding Joint Task Force (JTF) 510's strategy in Operation EnduringFreedom-Philippines (OEF-P). Understanding whyand how the model was successfulallows commandersand policy-makers to make more informed decisions in combating terrorismand avoid the costlymistakes encountered in Iraqand Afghanistan.Theresults of this study reveal thatspecificpre-conditions enabled the success of JTF-510 and that other conditions, consciously developed, facilitated operationsin a positivemanner. The pre-conditions in-place beforeJTF-510 arrived included along-standing U.S.-Philippine partnership, high English language proficiency, favorable geography, and a conflictarguably characterized as a cultural versus a religious insurgency. Of the conditions consciously developed by JTF-510'sleadership, the decision to limit troop presence, maintaina "low-profile," restrict the rules of engagement, and properly recognize the conflict as an insurgency fromthe start helped overcome many of the challenges encountered inIraq and Afghanistan. Together, theseconditions allowedthis joint venture withtheArmed Forcesof thePhilippines (AFP) to remove the terrorist threat from Basilan Island.The results, however, alsoshowthe model's inabilityto effectively address government reform and stopwidespread corruption, which essentially limitsthe permanency of this victoryin the Philippines.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.