The Strategic Implications of Sensitive Site Exploitation
Abstract
As part of the War on Terrorism (WOT), the United States has implemented a National Strategy for Combating Terrorism that includes operations not only against terrorist organizations, but also against States that sponsor them. In support of the WOT, the Department of Defense has begun to conduct Sensitive Site Exploitation (SSE) operations against strategically important sites of significant intelligence value in such places as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq. These operations, although planned and executed at the tactical level of operations, have strategic implications for both the U.S. and the international community. Consequently, because of the increased frequency with which the United States Government (USG) can expect to conduct SSE operations to support the WOT, and because of the strategic impact that those operations can have, the U.S. should consider developing a long standing Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) with an appropriate mix of expertise drawn from the DOD, government agencies (i.e. CIA, DOE, and Justice Department), and select Non-Governmental Organizations (i.e. UN weapons inspectors and ICRC). This paper will assess the strategic implications that SSE operations have for the U.S. in the WOT, provide an overview of SSE doctrine, organization, and a review of recent operations. Based on the critical importance these operations have for the U.S., a proposal for a JIATF will be presented that argues for a longstanding organization composed of interagency members with the requisite expertise to conduct these operations in the future.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA441593
Entities
People
- Thomas S. Vandal
Organizations
- National War College