Clear Military Objectives
Abstract
The President's National Security Strategy is broken down into two distinct pillars. The first pillar identifies two major responsibilities the United States has towards the international community. The responsibilities are to end tyranny and promote democracy. Our nation's efforts to end tyranny and promote democracy world wide creates a clear objective to support the two pillars of the National Security Strategy and defeat America's enemies." The first pillar is promoting freedom, justice, and human dignity - working to end tyranny, to promote effective democracies and to extend prosperity free and fair trade and wise development policies" (Bush, 2006, The National Security Strategy of the United States of America). The idea of ending tyranny gave our military clear objectives for the initial invasions of both Afghanistan and Iraq. Our military forces had clear goals to replace the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and the Hussein regime in Iraq. The leaders of the Afghan Northern Alliance (ANA) welcomed U.S. ground forces when they arrived into northern Afghanistan in October, 2001. The Soldiers and leaders of the ANA recognized that overthrowing the Taliban government would result in the restoration of basic human rights and freedoms. The ANA also understood that by assisting the U.S. forces they would have a voice in what type of government would replace the Taliban regime. The goal of ending tyranny resulted in targeting specific infrastructures and reducing collateral damage which could have endangered the message to the people of Afghanistan that U.S. and ANA forces wanted to make life easier not more difficult. Operation Enduring Freedom I, was successful in a large part because the people of Afghanistan understood that the invasion force wanted to improve life, not destroy it.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 13, 2007
- Accession Number
- AD1111487
Entities
People
- William H. Marten
Organizations
- United States Army Sergeants Major Academy