The War Against ISIS: The Need for Operational Art in Proxy Conflicts

Abstract

This study views tactical and strategic thinking in the information age through the lens of modern proxy war in order to conclude that the tenets of operational art, and the nesting of minor military actions within a broader national strategic framework, is imperative in a proxy conflict. Importantly, this extends to the selection of surrogate military forces and the need to fully conceive the implications of a proxy's success. The research proposes a new model for conceptualizing how minor military actions can have strategic impacts. These concepts are explored through a case study on the United States' proxy war against the Islamic State.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 16, 2021
Accession Number
AD1160915

Entities

People

  • Timothy M. Dwyer

Organizations

  • School of Advanced Military Studies

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Cyber
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Civil War
  • Department Of Defense
  • Foreign Policy
  • Foreign Relations
  • Governments
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Organizations
  • International Relations
  • International Security
  • Law
  • Middle East
  • Military Operations
  • National Security
  • Political Movements
  • Social Media
  • Terrorism
  • Treaties
  • United States
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.
  • Systems Analysis and Design