Leave Mountain People Alone
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Description
This commentary proposes a historical and strategic rule for military planners: “leave mountain people alone.” Drawing on millennia of conflict history, the author argues that campaigns against resilient mountain societies—including Afghans, Chechens, Kurds, and others—have repeatedly failed because of terrain difficulties, entrenched culture, and local resistance. The article defines mountain people by livelihood and social structure rather than geography alone and examines why mountainous terrain favors defenders and complicates outside intervention. It then analyzes implications for U.S. policy in conflicts involving mountain societies such as eastern Pashtuns, Kurds, and Yemen’s Houthis, cautioning against attempts to impose centralized governance or reshape societies and suggesting that containment of threats may be more effective and realistic than nation-building efforts.
Document Type
Article
Topic(s)
National Security, Defense Policy, Irregular Warfare
Region(s)
Afghanistan, Middle East, Caucasus/Europe
Publication Date
6-20-2017
Keywords
mountain people, terrain and warfare, Afghanistan, insurgency, U.S. military strategy, conflict history, Chechens, Kurds, Houthis, counterinsurgency, strategic planning
Recommended Citation
Hammes, T.X., "Leave Mountain People Alone" (2017). Strategic Insights. 4.
https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/strategic-insights/4