text: Operational Environment of Counterinsurgency
  dramatically changed the battlefield. Both insurgents and counterinsurgents will continue to innovate
  and adapt these technologies to the battlefield of today and the future.
  RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM
  1-11. Religious fundamentalism is defined as a belief in the infallibility of holy scriptures, absolute
  religious authority, and strict adherence to a set of basic religious principles without any compromise with
  modern life. As nation-states struggle to provide for their people, some of the dissatisfied population, as a
  backlash against globalization, will turn to religious fundamentalism to provide those needs that the
  nation-state cannot. (This is a primary insurgent ideology, and is further discussed in Chapter 2.)
  RESOURCE DEMAND
  1-12. Demand for energy, water, and food for growing populations will increase competition and,
  potentially, conflict.
  CLIMATE CHANGE AND NATURAL DISASTERS
  1-13. Climate change and natural disasters will compound already difficult conditions in developing
  countries and have the ability to cause humanitarian crises, driving regionally destabilizing population
  migrations and raising potential for epidemic diseases.
  PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION AND EFFECTS
  1-14. Proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and effects will increase the potential
  for catastrophic attacks, especially if used by failed states or terrorist organizations.
  Section II—OPERATIONAL AND MISSION VARIABLES
  A thorough analysis of the population, the insurgency, and the counterinsurgent using the eight operational
  variables and the six mission variables is critical to developing a counterinsurgency plan that can defeat the
  insurgency. Even, a tactical unit will use the operational variables as a way to define their operational
  environment, which often corresponds to their area of interest (AI).
  OPERATIONAL VARIABLES
  1-15. Army doctrine uses eight interrelated operational variables to analyze the operational
  environment. Known as PMESII-PT, the eight operational variables are—
  POLITICAL
  1-16. The political variable describes the distribution of responsibility and power at all levels
  of government. Since an insurgency is fundamentally a struggle for political power, the political
  environment in the HN country is critical. Attention should be paid not just to the formal political system
  (such as political parties and elected officials) but also to informal political systems (such as tribes, ethnic
  groups, and other centers of power). Long-term success in COIN is ultimately based on political efforts; all
  counterinsurgents must focus on the political impact of their actions. Therefore, tactical leaders may be
  expected to broker local political solutions.
  1-17. Host Nation (HN), US and coalition political considerations drive the conduct of COIN
  operations. This is especially true concerning the involvement of the US Government and US public
  opinion. A major goal of most insurgencies is to influence US public opinion against US involvement as a