The appearance of ideologically motivated anti-communist
insurgent groups in the Third World is an important new phenomenon
that has received little serious attention. Analysis has focused on
American attitudes, while the indigenous roots and motivations of
such groups have remained largely unexplored. Michael Radu fills in
the gap in "The New Insurgencies, "with case studies and
contributions from Anthony Arnold, Paul Henze, Justus van de Kroef,
and Jack Wheeler.
As the authors show, more often than not, Third World
anti-communist insurgencies express a general rejection of values
and ideologies from outsiders. Many of these insurgencies reflect
violent opposition to regimes installed by the Soviets during the
1970s, yet they only rarely articulate a struggle for liberal
democracy. Nationalism, religion, or the preservation of
traditional political and economic patterns are more often the true
motivations. And while insurgents often apply military and
occasionally political methods used by successful Marxist-Leninist
insurgencies of this century, they tend to be rural based and close
to the aspirations of the peasant masses rather than directed by
the educated and urbanized elites.
"The New Insurgencies "includes case studies of major
anti-communist movements today, including those in Afghanistan,
Cambodia, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Angola, and Nicaragua. It shows
that in each, the role of local powers such as South Africa,
Thailand, and Pakistan rather than direct U.S. support has been
critical to the insurgents' effectiveness. In part this may be
because the old bipartisan Washington consensus based on
anti-communism has evaporated; and Radu explores why this has
occurred.
Regardless of Washington's support, the new insurgencies are
likely to persist. Their impact on U.S., Soviet, and world policy
will be profound. "The New Insurgencies "combines extensive use of
firsthand data, including personal knowledge of some of the major
personalities involved, with extensive bibliographic information.
It is an essential tool for specialists in international relations,
military affairs, and U.S. foreign policy, as well as those
interested in understanding changes in Soviet domestic and
international policy.
General
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