Deterring and Responding to Asymmetrical Threats

Abstract

The United States involvement in military operations around the world has operational commanders on the front line against asymmetrical threats, be it from state or nonstate actors. In Somalia US soldiers were exposed to mortar attacks that originated from hospitals and schoolyards. In Operation Iraqi Freedom, US soldiers confronted an enemy that hid weapons in mosques, hospitals, and schools and wore civilian clothing to avoid destruction. Operational commanders will continue to face these types of threats regardless of the type of operation they undertake: Offense, Defense, Stability, or Support. The tendency for belligerent actors to avoid open area conflict with the United States will certainly increase. These approaches are intended to offset America's strength and intended to attack America's weakness. With the increase of asymmetric attacks and the potential of the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) to rogue actors, where does this leave the United States' strategy of nuclear and conventional deterrence? Is the US Army capable in playing a deterrent role against these threats? This study examines the doctrinal definition of deterrence, reviews Bernard Brodie's deterrence theory and discusses the impacts of his theory upon state and nonstate actors. The study further defines the terms asymmetry and asymmetrical threats and reviews a World View Threat survey (European and American) that identifies these asymmetrical threats as Islamic fundamentalists. Additionally, the study presents the ends, ways, and means utilized by the Union Army during the Civil War, and the ends, ways, means utilized by the US Army during operations in Bosnia in order to deter asymmetrical threats. The study concludes by presenting operational commanders with five principles for consideration when designing campaign plans against asymmetrical threats.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 22, 2003
Accession Number
ADA430891

Entities

People

  • John W. Reynolds

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • C4I
  • Cyber
  • Electronic Warfare
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Asymmetric Warfare
  • Civil War
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Force Protection
  • Military History
  • Military Operations
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Operations Security
  • Psychological Operations
  • Terrorists
  • United States
  • Warfare
  • Weapons Effects
  • Weapons Of Mass Destruction

Readers

  • Irregular Warfare and Special Operations Cyberspace Operations against Adversarial Threats.
  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.