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Lesson 10
Messy Wars
Desired Learning Outcomes:
From Steele:
Definition: Asymmetric advantage- having some weapon or capability that your opponent does not have
In the future Joint Doctrine will task military commanders to help defend "non-traditional" targets. Non-traditional targets include, bridges, levees, dams, power generators, rail yards, MAYEAST, etc.
Ex.: MAYEAST is a critical communications node. Taking out MAYEAST disconnects the US government from the rest of the Internet world. Computer hackers or a small band of infiltrators could take out MAYEAST and the government would be paralyzed.
The Mississippi and Missouri rivers are crossed by 6 mainstream railway bridges, across which the vast majority of US grains must go from the plains to the East Coast cities, and the vast majority of manufactured goods must in return go from the Northeast and the South. Destruction of one or more of these crossings could significantly impact the distribution of goods nationwide.
A sub- or non-state actor can most easily affect our national security by denying access or interrupting the flow of natural resources, oil for example.
Questions for Study and Discussion:
For DLO 1:
From Steele:
We use high-tech weapons while our enemy uses low-tech weapons. Ex. Somalia: shoulder launches rpg takes out a multi-million dollar Black Hawk helicopter. Technology itself is also vulnerable to attack and perhaps even harder to defend. Our warfighters have become dependent upon this technology and may not be able to function without it. Technology does not insure victory.
Bad information, lose technology then lose the war
From Bowden:
"The severity of human suffering in Somalia caused commanders to try to alleviate the situation on their own. Units were deployed to the field to provide security for the humanitarian relief agency convoys of food. Upon seeing the appalling conditions, and realizing they were not tasked to give food or provide direct support to the population, local commanders took it upon themselves to try to arrange for or speed up relief supplies. While well-intended, this activity diverted the commanders’ attention from their primary mission."
Center for Army Lessons Learned
Newsletter, 93-8
This statement by the Center for Army Lessons Learned explains why Somalia was such a failure. The failure was not based upon poor information gathering or understanding of cultural sensitivities, but rather a change in mission objectives by local commanders without the requisite change in equipment and strategy. We lost sight of what we were there to do. Flexible response is necessary in order to achieve success.
From Murphy:
The US military should play a large role in the fight against terrorism and international crime. If we do not step up to combat these growing entities American interests abroad will become more vulnerable to attack.
From Steele:
Definition: "Soft-targets"- those targets not heavily defended but whose destruction will cause a significant impact op operations
Non-American strategists will actually seek out these soft-targets. A small group of insurgents can create havoc by taking out a strategic soft-target. David vs. Goliath situation
Humanitarian issues can divert war-fighting troops and attention away from the combat operations.
State collapse is a deeper phenomenon than mere rebellion, coup, or riot. It refers to a situation where the structure, authority (legitimate power), law and political order have fallen apart and must be reconstituted in some form, old or new. On the other hand, it is not necessarily anarchy. This leads to formation of sub-state or non-state actors. In order to deal with these states effectively we must know their motivation
Power devolves to the peripheries when the center fights among itself.
Understanding both sides involved in the conflict.
Murphy’s opinion:
The US, as a superpower, should use everything at its disposal in order to resolve a conflict with the least amount of bloodshed and collateral damage. This does not mean that we must use extreme military force. We must use those forces that will give us the "greatest bang for the buck". This could involve economic sanctions, psyops, or force if necessary to coerce the sub-state actors.
From Zartman:
Yes. We must tailor our response to the situation. In Somalia we sent heavy forces and the Somali warlords sent out gangs that weren’t afraid to die. The Somali gangs overwhelmed our forces by hitting them from every possible angle with small arms fire and our heavy forces could not cope with this sort of attack.
From Zartman:
Ethnic identity drives these sub-state actors
Ex. Hutus vs. Tutsis- Both were from the same country but had different cultural and ethnic identities. Another example is Bosnia. Cultural and religious differences have led to fighting for hundreds of years. Going in and re-drawing the borders and creating new states is a temporary solution at best. Eventually the fighting will resume.
Types of Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW)
Dept of State is the lead agent for incidents that take place outside of the US.
Dept of Justice is the lead agent for incidents that occur within the US
Dept of Transportation is the lead agent for incidents aboard aircraft "in flight" within the special jurisdiction of the US