This appendix will outline nine of the most important characteristics of COIN war and contrast them with traditional war, in order to better demonstrate the differences and complexity of Counter-Insurgency (COIN) warfare in comparison with conventional warfare, as referred to in the previous blog ‘ISAF APPENDIX 2 – Counter-Insurgency (COIN) Warfare: Definitions, Political Nature & 5 False Expectations’. These nine characteristics include: (1) the basic nature of the war; (2) aim of the war;
(3) focus of the war; (4) traditional or non-traditional objectives and operations; (5) the role of armed forces in the war; (6) the role of military technology in the war; (7) defining and measuring “success” in the war; (8) the final “end point” in the war; and lastly, (9) the duration of the war campaign.