Abstract: Today's battlefields require Soldiers to understand and defeat insurgencies that have many variables. The battles are asymmetric and Soldiers must conduct full spectrum operations for success. The enemy is well organized and uses his community to his advantage. Effective intelligence gathering leading to the neutralization of insurgent leaders is the critical element in defeating an insurgency. Nation building plays a key role also; however, this paper addresses why it is not as important as the neutralization of insurgent leaders. United States military has engaged in numerous counterinsurgent operations in the last 200 years. The operations in the Philippines, 1899-1913, and ongoing Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) operations provide a sound foundation to emphasize the importance of insurgent leaders.

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