Counterinsurgency theory, once celebrated as having pulled Iraq back from the brink, is now in crisis due to its record in Afghanistan. Considering both the contribution of counterinsurgency theory to military thinking and its limitations as a concept, it remains valuable, even if the term "counterinsurgency theory" once again is cast aside. The theory provides not a strategy or campaign plan but rather a collection of insights and principles. The value of the theory depends on what is expected from it. Some insights based on counterinsurgency theory appear commonsensical but nonetheless challenge dominant misconceptions about the nature of war. The lessons of recent counterinsurgency campaigns must therefore be retained for future military interventions—and prompt greater caution among military strategists and policymakers about such undertakings. Careful study and research are needed to determine how best to apply this theory to future operations, and it is fair to say that it is better at raising the right questions than in providing the answers.