Seminar - Counterinsurgency Operations in Afghanistan and Beyond

On May 12, FOI arranged a seminar on Counterinsurgency (COIN) with Dr John Mackinlay from King’s College London. Dr Mackinlay, a leading expert in the field, presented his research and spoke on the development of COIN in the 21st century. The concept COIN has attracted more attention during recent years, not least because of military operations in Afghanistan where NATO is increasingly looking to COIN strategies. Sweden, however, has limited experience in COIN.

Among other things, Dr Mackinlay spoke on operational developments in Afghanistan, noting that COIN doctrines risk becoming obsolete in a rapidly changing world.

The seminar enjoyed broad participation from various authorities and the discussions which followed Dr Mackinlay’s presentation indicated considerable interest for COIN and its use in international operations.

The event took place at the Swedish Ministry of Defence and was arranged jointly by the FOI projects Peace Support Operations and Management of Multifunctional Operations.