War-Fighting Doctrine – Irregular

Irregular Warfare, (New York Times Magazine)…William Safire, June 8, 2008

…That’s the ticket: irregular has become the Defense Department’s adjective of choice to modify the current style of warfare.

The definition for irregular warfare — cautiously marked “proposed” when approved in September 2007 by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and other top brass — is “a violent struggle among state and nonstate actors for legitimacy and influence over the relevant populations.

Irregular warfare favors indirect and asymmetric approaches, though it may employ the full range of military and other capabilities, in order to erode an adversary’s power, influence and will.”

In defining the war-fighting doctrine now evolving, no matter how broad its range of techniques, it’s useful to grasp the direction of the definition: Irregular warfare is not our nation’s war on enemy irregulars but our inclusion of irregular methods in warring on an unconventional enemy.