McCormick's "Magic Diamond"
McCormick’s "Magic Diamond" model is designed as a tool for counterinsurgency, but develops a symmetrical view of the required actions for both the Insurgent and COIN forces to achieve success. In this way the counterinsurgency model can demonstrate how both the insurgent and COIN forces succeed or fail. The model’s strategies and principle apply to both forces, therefore the degree the forces follow the model should have a direct correlation to the success or failure of either the Insurgent or COIN force.
The model depicts four key elements or players:
- Insurgent force
- Counterinsurgency force (i.e., the government)
- Population
- International community
All of these interact, and the different elements have to assess their best options in a set of actions:
- Gaining support of the population
- Disrupt opponent’s control over the population
- Direct action against opponent
- Disrupt opponent’s relations with the international community
- Establish relationships with the international community
Read more about this topic: Foreign Internal Defense, FID Models
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