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P 212128Z DEC 07
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI PRIORITY 7567

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 169783 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MARR MCAP MOPS EAID PGOV PINR PINS PREL
PROP, PTER, KISL, IZ, RP, UK 
SUBJECT: INTERIM INTERAGENCY COUNTERINSURGENCY GUIDE 
LAUNCHED, WORKSHOP EXPANDS USG DISCUSSION ON 
COUNTERINSURGENCY 
 
REF:  STATE 81232 
 
¶1.  (U) This cable is Sensitive But Unclassified -- Not 
for Internet distribution. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  As part of the Interagency 
Counterinsurgency Initiative, over a nine month period 
the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM) has led an 
interagency team composed of representatives from nine 
agencies and multiple bureaus within the Department in 
drafting a strategic level educational guide on 
counterinsurgency (COIN) for senior policy makers.  The 
document is titled "Counterinsurgency for U.S. Government 
Policy Makers:  A Work in Progress" and is also known as 
the Interim COIN Guide.  On November 15-16, PM hosted a 
workshop in Arlington, Virginia to broaden the dialogue 
on counterinsurgency among USG agencies and workshop 
participants from think tanks, academia, media, and 
several members of the diplomatic corps (Iraq, 
Philippines, UK) and to take the Guide towards its final 
form.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.  (U) The Interagency Counterinsurgency Initiative 
seeks to socialize counterinsurgency concepts across U.S. 
Government agencies and to build the capacity of the USG 
to partner with host nations to assist their management 
of effective COIN campaigns.  The Interim COIN Guide is 
one element of the Interagency Counterinsurgency 
Initiative, which was launched in September 2006.  The 
objectives of the Guide mirror those of the Initiative, 
with the specific goal of engendering a common 
understanding of insurgency and counterinsurgency across 
the USG.  The process of bringing together the 
participants in the drafting process has proven as 
valuable as the Guide itself as we build a wider and 
deeper COIN community of interest whose participants are 
positioned to press for change in their organizations so 
the USG as a whole is able to deliver more effective COIN 
capabilities.  Additional information on the Initiative 
can be found on the internet at www.usgcoin.org, which 
includes a Fact Sheet and an electronic version of the 
Guide. 
 
¶4.  (U) Counterinsurgency expert Dr. David Kilcullen of 
the Counselor's staff ran the workshop.  Ambassador 
Stephen Mull, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for 
Political-Military Affairs (PM), delivered the opening 
remarks.  Ambassador John Herbst of S/CRS, USAID Acting 
Deputy Administrator James Kunder, Assistant Secretary of 
Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict 
and Interdependent Capabilities (OSD/SOLIC) Michael 
Vickers also spoke, underlining the relevance of the 
Guide to their organizations and to the USG in general. 
Janine Davidson of OSD/SOLIC's Stability Operations 
Capabilities office presented on the role of doctrine in 
driving organizational change and Donna Hopkins of PM's 
Office of Plans, Policy and Analysis outlined the way 
forward for the Guide at the end of the workshop. 
 
------------------------ 
KEY POINTS OF DISCUSSION 
------------------------ 
¶5.  (U) One of the main goals of the two day workshop was 
to solicit views from a wide range of participants inside 
and outside the USG whose organizations play a role in 
counterinsurgency.  Complete consensus was not sought and 
there were points of disagreement among workshop 
participants. 
 
¶6.  (U) Many participants agreed that the Interim COIN 
Guide needs a strong focus on USG support to the host 
nation governments affected by insurgency.  This 
emphasizes the benefits of an indirect approach - 
partnering with host nation governments to assist them in 
implementing a COIN plan of their own, rather than the 
USG running a COIN campaign itself on behalf of the host 
nation.  Ideally, the host nation has a COIN plan; the 
USG should assess whether and where it can assist.  If 
the host nation does not have a COIN plan, the USG should 
build a planning capacity early in any engagement with 
the host nation in addressing an insurgency. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) A main point of disagreement was whether a USG 
COIN campaign should be fully interagency or whether only 
the foreign affairs agencies - the Department of State, 
 
STATE 00169783  002 OF 002 
 
SUBJECT: INTERIM INTERAGENCY COUNTERINSURGENCY GUIDE 
LAUNCHED, WORKSHOP EXPANDS USG DISCUSSION 
Defense, USAID and the intelligence community - would be 
more effective.  Some participants supported the former 
by noting that many agencies outside the foreign affairs 
agencies have technical assistance programs and funding 
that can be brought to bear in a COIN campaign.  Others 
supported the latter option by noting that the foreign 
affairs agencies are accustomed to and more effective at 
working overseas, particularly when the environment is 
semi-permissive or non-permissive; and they have the 
legal and budgetary authorities for foreign assistance. 
 
¶8.  (U) There was extensive discussion as to whether the 
Guide should be realistic or aspirational.  A 
considerable number of participants concluded that it 
should be realistic, with call-out boxes in various spots 
to highlight required (but not extant) capabilities or 
institutional arrangements. 
 
¶9.  (U) Many participants called for a blunt discussion 
in the Guide of capability gaps, the implications for 
counterinsurgency of the resource imbalance between the 
Defense Department and the rest of the interagency, and 
other challenges and constraints on the USG in a 
counterinsurgency environment. 
 
¶10.  (U) There was broad agreement that Congressional 
involvement is essential in building and maintaining key 
COIN capabilities in the government and to ensure broad 
support, both political and financial, for engaging with 
a foreign partner that faces a destructive insurgency. 
 
---------------------------------- 
THE WAY FORWARD; COMMENTS WELCOMED 
---------------------------------- 
¶11. (U) The Interim COIN Guide can be found on the 
homepage of the Interagency Counterinsurgency Initiative 
website at www.usgcoin.org.  Posts and bureaus within the 
Department and USAID missions are encouraged to review 
and comment on all aspects of the Guide including its 
scope, focus, and content.  PM requests that comments by 
transmitted by January 15, 2008.  Comments can be sent to 
Thomas F. Cooney in the PM bureau via email 
(CooneyTF@state.gov on the unclassified system). 
 
¶12.  (U) The Guide is being revised with input from the 
November workshop.  A reworked Guide will be ready in 
February.  At that time, PM will host a workshop in 
conjunction with the Defense Department.  The workshop 
will review the revised Guide and an outline for a 
forthcoming Defense Department Joint Publication on 
Counterinsurgency, in part to ensure the two are 
compatible. 
 
¶13.  (U) In late spring 2008, PM will hold a workshop 
with a COIN expert panel to assess the adequacy of the 
revised Guide, which will then be field tested with 
embassies, Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq and 
Afghanistan, USAID missions and military units.  A final, 
cleared interagency document will be ready in the fall of 
2008 for submission to the appropriate interagency 
officials for signature. 
 
¶14.  (U) Minimize considered. 
RICE