Insurgencies in 2070, The Small, Brutal Wars of the future Options

[VagabondStar]

The emergence of 4th generation warfare (if you subscribe to the generation theory) was expected to find us in a high-technology war between built up state actors. Much to the chagrin of military planners, the fourth generation of war seems to have taken a slightly different direction. Insurgency has come to the forefront of military and political science in modern world affairs, and is generally regarded as the next generation of war (there you go, smarty pants). Assuming that things don't change so drastically as to cause insurgency to fall to the wayside, where in the 6th world are major insurgencies occurring?

[Sir_Psycho]

Llama de Libertad in Aztlan could be called insurgents. That's been an ongoing one.

Canon has also suggested ongoing instability in north Africa. But it's not really my area of expertise. SOTA 2063 and Fields of Fire have the most mercenary information (which where most of the stuff on insurgencies is noted).

I suppose sixth world mercenaries are the warfare equivalent of Shadowrunners. There's so many extraterritorial bodies now, that they hire mercenaries to perform jobs they don't want to involve their troops in. Insurgencies could well be one of them. Government agencies have long been providing weapons and training to various insurgents, so it seems logical that the megacorps will do the same, and likely hire mercenaries and shadowrunners to facilitate the operations.

Although, I just took a look through SOTA63, and it lists the major conflicts as The Phillipines (Huk "Rebels" [Now that the JIMs are out, it's not much of a rebellion - Though in 63 they were still attacking japanacorps), The Yucatan (afore-mentioned south american conflicts against Aztlan/Flame of Freedom/Amazonia), Yakut/Siberia (The Siberians and Russians are still fighting border skirmishes often, and I imagine there's a few conflicts that cross over into the cities), although that's more of a conflict between nations.

[Prospero]

The Salish-Tsimshian conflict had almost degnerated into an insurgency; there must be some insurgent elements left around there somewhere.

In Europe, the Balkan microstates and surrounding areas must be insurgency central still (though I guess it's maybe tough to keep track of who the insurgents are and who the 'government' is in any given week), along with (a guess since there's little actual cannon material extant) probably the parts of Romania taken over by the Ukraine (mainly Transylvania, I think).

[Fuchs]

Many Caribbean Islands regularly see violent changes in governments.

[Zak]

The emergence of 4th generation warfare (if you subscribe to the generation theory) was expected to find us in a high-technology war between built up state actors.

Uhm, no. 4GW theory is dealing with asymetric conflict between actors relying on a strong traditional military and those who do not have access to that kind of technology - breaking the boundary between civilians and soldiers. There you go. Highly recomended read even though it probably is a dated terminology.

Anyway, more important and interesting is your actual question.
I usually assume that there are quite alot of groups in the SR-verse who benefit from creating chaos, be it political, financial or whatever. They win by undermining the corporate and national governance.

Looking forward to more specific examples. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

(Edit for some clarity)

[Sir_Psycho]

Well doesn't Lung benefit from the chaos in the Philippines? or is that another GD?

[Pendaric]

Other GD. The youngest. Havent got Dragons with me so carnt remembeer the name.

[toturi]

Masaru

[Jackstand]

Well, insofar as it weakens Ryumyo, Lung benefits.

[Drogos]

Isn't Mainland China a series of nation states that are in constant warfare? Something about warlords or some such out of Runners' Havens? (Sorry, I never picked up Shadows of Asia, so I have no real knowledge of the area)

[DWC]

Yep. Per Runner Havens and Shadows of Asia, the rest of what used to be China is in a constant state of open war.

[Drogos]

Yep. Per Runner Havens and Shadows of Asia, the rest of what used to be China is in a constant state of open war.

WOOT I remembered stuff!!! So yeah, that would be some insurgency I imagine. Nice and yummy insurgency, full or war crime goodness.

[CanRay]

On the Corporate side of the dirty wars, the Cola Wars have heated up again, Red Versus Blue!

[FlakJacket]

If you're looking for fucked up South-East Asia is always good area to try. Let's see going from memory Burma is still a mess with the Karen and Chins fighting the central government in Rangoon, Cambodia has those awakened nagas trying to take over the country based out of Angkor Wat, Thailand's under a military junta that's having to deal with a resurgent democratic opposition, the Dega Alliance is some weird awakened group made up of local tribes whose self-proclaimed territory straddles the borders between Vietnam, Cambodia and a small bit of Laos, Indonesia fell apart and Borneo has been taken over by the Dayak tribes and thrown out the governments of Brunei and the former Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak and the Indonesian provinces of Kalimantan.

[sunnyside]

A lot of the stuff we're talking about isn't really "insurgencies".

For example much of Africa, ME, Balkains, and China are in a near constant state of war. But generally the actors are just small governments fighting it out. Also in a number of places there have been/are Rebellions.

But an insurgency is something else.

Insurgency is a violent internal uprising against a sovereign government that lacks the organization of a revolution.

Which describes what's going on in Iraq well enough. Small generally independent bands not part of a larger movement. Often not even interested in changing the country as a whole just carving out some more power for the cleric they're fighting for.

That's a bit less common. Off the top of my head I can't think of a place in SR where that's going on. I'd expect it to be still going on in the ME, and any spot recently conquered if anybody can think of one.

[Ryu]

Well, insofar as it weakens Ryumyo, Lung benefits.

IIRC more than that. Masaru accepted Lung as teacher, a weightful decision indeed.

[DWC]

A lot of the stuff we're talking about isn't really "insurgencies".

For example much of Africa, ME, Balkains, and China are in a near constant state of war. But generally the actors are just small governments fighting it out. Also in a number of places there have been/are Rebellions.

But an insurgency is something else.

Insurgency is a violent internal uprising against a sovereign government that lacks the organization of a revolution.

Which describes what's going on in Iraq well enough. Small generally independent bands not part of a larger movement. Often not even interested in changing the country as a whole just carving out some more power for the cleric they're fighting for.

That's a bit less common. Off the top of my head I can't think of a place in SR where that's going on. I'd expect it to be still going on in the ME, and any spot recently conquered if anybody can think of one.

It perfectly describes the situation in southern Aztlan. Other than that, most of them are reasonably symmetrical inter-tribal conflicts.

[VagabondStar]

I remember from the Tir Na Nog book that there is a non-Elven Insurgency happening on that island, that may or may not be supported by the UnSealy Court, and various other anti-Elf groups.

[hermit]

Off the top of my hat:

- TNN has the Ulster Resistance, essentially the human IRA and Protestant factions joining forces to fight off the elves. They also like to fight amongst each other a lot.
- There's three guerilla campaigns of low magnitude going on in SR Germany: The Bandenian Liberation Front, which seeks to liberate an area the size of Queens (the NY district) and set it up as an independent state; an anti-church uprising in Westphalia, the Theocratic state, and the remaining anarchists in Berlin.
- The Algonkitan-Manitou Council is facing an uprising by the Manitou elves who feel the Algonkitan sold out radical ecofundamentalism the moment they let Aztlan into the country (to save everyone from starvation after an Aztech biowarfare attack). This movement is supposedly led by the toxic phantom of soem Lady called Silvereyes.
- There's a lingering conflict betreen the UCAS and CAS over parts of Kentucky and another border state that every once in a while escalates into guerilla warfare.
- There're freedom fighters ins everal austrian provinces, who feel their little Valley needs to be a nation state of it's own.
- Poland is a messy, messy place torn by 30 years of crushed uprisings, Russian occupation, foreign intervention by pretty much everyone and inter-guerilla fighting. It's SR's Colombia.
- Yakutia is facing an uprising of the Baikal Lake region against it's shapeshifter-dominated rule. For good measure, the Baikal rebels also attack Russia, so they don't feel left out.
- The Chiense splinter states are a mess.
- There're rumors of a civil war in shrouded Tibet, monks versus remnants of trapped chinese military units and loyalist Tibetans.
- Africa is Somalia, coast to coast

[Prospero]

Don't forget the Sons of the Alamo and other militant anti-Aztlan groups in the CAS.

[hermit]

Those are terrorists, not insurgents. Lama de la Liberdad has already been mentioned, but yes, there're supposed to be smaller Texan insurgent groups too; none have been canonically named, for all I know, though.

Terrorist groups in SR include:

- The Black Scorpions, an arab/islamist terror group, pretty much comparable with today's Iraqi Al Quaeda, but operating more in central Asia
- The Flaming Sword, an anti-meta christian fundamentalist terror group
- The Sword of God, an anti-infidels, anti-abortion and anti-homo American christian fundamentalist terrorist group
- A Plethora of small-ish leftist Terror groups in Germany, including stalins Faust (Stalin's Fist), Rote Brigaden (Red Brigades), and NUK-NUK (an anarchist group kinda like Neuromancer's Panther Moderns). For good measure, there's also an equally impressive Nazi terrorist groups around
- Pan Europa, a pro-EU (!) terror group in Britain (!!)
- Alamos 20K
- FARC, PLRC and Shining Path all have fared better in SR than irl
- ... and finally, we have Der Nachtmachen, a german anarchist terror organisation apparently hell-bent on raping grammar to death.

[VagabondStar]

Those are terrorists, not insurgents.

That line can get very fuzzy.

[Siege]

Almost to the point of non-existent.

-Siege

[Fuchs]

And there is Greenwar, and TerraFirst!.

[Sir_Psycho]

That line can get very fuzzy.

Indeed. And what about "mercenary" outfits like that one based in Constantinople. 40k Daggers, is it? They're about equally implied in Ibn Eisa's death as Mossad.