Dr David Kilcullen - Former Special Advisor for Counterinsurgency to the Secretary of State and non-resident Senior Fellow, Center for a New American Security

Charlie Edwards - Head of the Security Programme, Demos (Chair)

Demos is delighted to host a lecture and presentation by Dr David Kilcullen on his new book, The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One.
 
Dr Kilcullen argues that war in the post-9/11 world is very different to what might have been expected. Counterinsurgency and protracted guerrilla warfare, not shock and awe, are the order of the day. Kilcullen takes us "on the ground" to uncover the face of modern warfare, illuminating both the global war of terrorism and its relation to associated ‘small wars’ across the globe: Iraq, Afghanistan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Chechnya, Pakistan and North Africa.
 
Dr Kilcullen sees today's conflicts as a complex pairing of contrasting trends: local social networks and worldwide movements; traditional and postmodern culture; local insurgencies seeking autonomy and a broader pan-Islamic campaign. He argues that we must learn how to disentangle these strands, develop strategies that deal with global threats, avoid local conflicts where possible, and win them where necessary.

This event is by invitation only. For more information, or to inform us of any access needs, please contact events@demos.co.uk or call 0207 367 6333.

This is the first of a Demos lecture series on security. We are grateful to Aegis for their kind support.