Samenvatting

Asymmetric warfare is hot, because all bigger conflicts fought in the world today are more or less asymmetric. According to Bart Tromp, late professor in the theory en history of international affairs, the war fought between the United States and the Iraqi Army in the last decade of the previous century could well have been the last conventional battle between two armies which faced and strode against each other. The use of terrorism and guerilla tactics ask for a new approach for armed forces that will be confronted with such tactics. The difference is that, where an army normally fights to win, an asymmetrical fighting groups goal is already reached simply when it does not lose. Hence, as long as the group can guarantee their own existence, it is impossible for the opposing party to claim victory. Such fundamental differences in the way war is experienced, ask for new insights from the military commanders involved. By means of this interview we will try to understand this subject better, by hearing the opinion of Colonel (ret.) van Angeren. He specializes in the topics of coercion, asymmetric warfare and game theory.