Our Share of the Task: Joint Special Operations and Covert Foreign Internal Defense
Abstract
The US government has executed numerous covert actions since the end of WWII, largely through the CIA, with varying degrees of success. The US government uses covert action to achieve national security objectives while maintaining plausible deniability of US involvement. Covert actions have included a myriad of efforts across the spectrum of conflict, including political warfare, influence operations, cyber operations, UW (supporting insurgencies/resistance movements against hostile governments or occupying powers), and lastly, and most relevant to this thesis, Foreign Internal Defense (FID)--supporting states facing internal threats requiring non-attributable US counterterrorism (CT), counterinsurgency (COIN), or countersubversion (CS) support. The study addresses two types of Covert FID--witting and unwitting. The first, witting, is when a foreign state requires assistance, but needs plausible deniability of US support. The second, unwitting, is if a foreign states internal danger is a US national security issue and the state is incapable or unwilling to act or request external support. If the US conducts Covert FID without the approval of the state to counteract this threat, then the actions taken by the US requires plausible deniability. This thesis uses the case-study methodology to determine the viability of DOD SOF-led Covert FID based on three historical cases. The study also analyzes the CIAs historic primacy for covert actions, and the legal and cultural constraints of DoD-led covert action. This study finds that when SOF executes Covert FID, it is a feasible national security option for policy makers, ambassadors, and commanders when in situations requiring plausible deniability of US support to a state. Additionally, this study provides an analysis of the DOTMLPF-A requirements to make this a viable SOF concept. Finally, this thesis is applicable to the SOF community or interagency civilian decision makers who are influential in governmental policy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 19, 2014
- Accession Number
- AD1212446
Entities
People
- Marcus T. Franzen
Organizations
- National Defense University