by Volko
Reflecting on Cordo's thoughts above, think of Sweep more as pressure than decision. If FARC responds by Rallying it's Guerrillas Underground, it means it is NOT:- Terrorizing to wreck Support, build Opposition, or Sabotage LoCs.
- Kidnapping for its main route to big money.
- Marching to contest Government strongholds or LoCs.
- Placing new bases or guerrillas, at least not in the Sweep spaces.
- Attacking or Ambushing Government rural Police that are key to Civic Action, govt Troops, or AUC Guerrillas that wil Assassinate its Bases.
- Playing events that it wants and you don't.
If FARC Extorts when it can to pay for all those Rallies that merely tread water, it exposes guerrillas to Air Strikes that can accompany the Sweeps, or to a switch to Assaults.
If FARC ever stops Rallying to do any of those other things, and Govt gets to Assault, FARC has suffered a stinging battlefield defeat.
This pressure also works against the other Insurgents, even all three at once.
The Govt can keep this pressure up a long time, stymying FARC progress--as long as it has the MONEY. (So you can see why I put Resources into the game, to capture this COIN-Insurgent dynamic.). Fortunately, the Government's economic base usually is greater than the FARC's. And that's where Sabotage, kidnapping, Resource transfers, and the rest come in, and it really gets interesting....
vfr