PS 340 Spring 2007

Home

Midterm Preview

1) Define and State the Significance [5 points each] Provide a succinct definition of the following terms as used in the study of insurgency. For each term, explain how the concept is significant with respect to policy or theory.

Terrorism

Insurgency

Counterinsurgency

Deterrable and Non-deterrable threats

Ideology

Sunni/Shiite differences

Compartmentalization of bureaucracy

2) Short Essay [25 points] Before his death in May 2006, George Crile explained that his book, Charlie Wilson’s War, “tells the story of the CIA’s secret war in Afghanistan, of the men who dreamed it, and the journey they took to see it through. If the campaign had different authors, men more associated with shaping foreign policy or waging wars, it might have surfaced earlier or been the subject of debate. But the unorthodox alliance—of a scandal-prone Texas Congressman and an out-of-favor CIA operative—that gave birth to the Afghan jihad kept this history under the radar.” (p. x)

Reflecting on your reading of Charlie Wilson’s War, what do you think are the main lessons of the experiences and events that are described in the book?

Gregory Gleason Social Science Bldg. Room 2064 Albuquerque, NM 87131 505-277-5447 and 505-277-2828 (fax)