During the first phase, insurgents, facing a foe of superior power, avoid major engagements and rely on small-scale guerrilla tactics to sap the will and strength of government forces. They raid when possible and fall back when necessary. As the guerrillas build up their strength and achieve rough parity, they enter the second phase of the struggle, launching a mix of guerrilla and conventional operations to keep the enemy off balance. In this phase, a sense of futility begins to permeate the thinking of the government’s troops as casualties and costs mount, with no decision in sight. As the
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