Religion As a Dimension of the Global War on Terrorism

Abstract

Religion has historically been misunderstood as a factor in strategic analysis and military operations. On the battlefield of this current Global War on Terrorism, religion has emerged as the new face that makes for a transnational threat. The enemy embraces a much different ideology than the enemy of the Cold War. Armed with a divine mandate and fueled by anger, Islamic militants have an exclusive strategy and a powerful message. The recognition and consideration of religion as a dimension in this war is critical for the Combatant Commander's battlefield assessment. Exploring the religious dimension will enhance the cultural intelligence gathering and reduce the vulnerability in strategic planning and operations.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 17, 2004
Accession Number
ADA425979

Entities

People

  • Gary P. Weeden

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Autonomy
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Asymmetric Warfare
  • Cold War
  • Geography
  • Governments
  • International Relations
  • Military Operations
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Public Policy
  • Religion
  • Sociopolitics
  • Strategic Analysis
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Strategic Security Studies