Reintegrating Afghan Insurgents

Successful counterinsurgency requires getting insurgents to switch sides. Former insurgents provide an invaluable source of information on their previous colleagues, sow discord, and ultimately cause momentum to shift toward counterinsurgent forces. This brief analysis examines reintegrating Taliban and other insurgents into their local communities in Afghanistan and outlines steps to facilitate the reintegration process. Reintegration refers to operational and tactical efforts to assimilate low to mid-level insurgents and leaders peacefully into their local communities.1 It is generally distinguished from reconciliation, which involves high-level, strategic, and political dialogue with senior leaders of major insurgent groups-such as the Taliban, Haqqani network, and Gulbuddin Hekmatyars Hezb-i-Islami HIG-to terminate their armed resistance against the Afghan government.2 As U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates explained With respect to reintegration, this is really about getting the foot soldiers to decide that they dont want to be a part of the Taliban any more.3 Some Afghan government documents use slightly different definitions of reintegration and reconciliation.