text: Chapter 2
  COMMUNISM
  2-48. Communism is a political system where private property is eliminated and controlled by the state.
  Historically, it has been advocated in countries where wealth is unevenly distributed among the classes.
  Communism was once the most typical form of insurgent ideology and often experienced success. With the
  fall of Soviet Union, communism has not been a successful motivation for insurgents, especially since
  there is currently little or no external support for communist-based insurgency.
  RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM
  2-49. Religious extremism, often a byproduct of religious fundamentalism, can be defined by strict
  adherence to a set of religious principles and the rejection of compromise. These ideologies are often
  energized by inequities in social, political or economic development and further helped by
  counterinsurgent attempts to marginalize religious issues. Globalization creates opportunities for an
  increase in religious extremism based on both real and perceived inequities. Insurgencies based on
  religious extremism want their values incorporated into the nation’s governmental structure. This fulfills
  the frustration and dissatisfaction of the religious extremists. Adherents often receive formal instruction on
  the religion’s fundamentals and use adherence to these fundamentals as a recruiting tool. Religious leaders
  are often leaders of the insurgency and nonextremist leaders are often replaced. Characteristics
  of insurgencies motivated by religious extremism that differ from traditional insurgencies are—
  • Individual duty with an indifference to popular support.
  • Use of violence that maximizes shock, awe, and casualties.
  • Disinterest with governance and lack of a practical political objective in organizations with
  global reach or establishing a theocracy in local cases.
  • Ability to regenerate guerrillas without popular support.
  NARRATIVE
  2-50. The central mechanism through which ideologies are expressed and absorbed is a narrative.
  A narrative is when a story is used to display the benefits of a certain ideology. Narratives are often central
  to representing identity, particularly the collective identity of religious sects, ethnic groupings, and tribal
  elements. Stories about a community’s history provide models of how actions and consequences are linked.
  Stories are often the basis for strategies and actions, as well as for interpreting others’ intentions. Insurgent
  organizations use narratives and religious-based concepts very effectively in developing, spreading,
  and mobilizing followers.
  2-51. In the Al Qaeda narrative, Osama bin Laden shows himself as a man purified in the mountains
  of Afghanistan who is gathering and inspiring followers and punishing infidels. In the collective
  imagination of Bin Laden and his followers, they are agents of Islamic history who will reverse the decline
  of the umma [Muslim community], reestablish the Caliphate, and bring about its inevitable triumph over
  Western imperialism. This image mobilizes support for Al Qaeda among some of the most traditional
  Muslims.
  ENVIRONMENT AND GEOGRAPHY
  2-52. Environment and geography, including cultural, religious, tribal affiliation, and other
  demographic factors along with terrain and weather, affect all participants in an operational environment.
  How insurgents and counterinsurgents adapt to these realities creates advantages and disadvantages
  for each. In Chapter 1, this manual stressed the importance of understanding an AO’s civil considerations
  (ASCOPE). Considerations for environment and geography include—
  • Population density and distribution, especially degree of urbanization
  • Root causes of the insurgency within an urban population, such as lack of basic services,
  security, markets, governance, municipal council representation, or schools.