The New Roles of the Dominican Armed Forces in the Dominican Republic National Security Plan
Abstract
This study investigates the institutional roles and functions of the Dominican Armed Forces as stated in the Dominican government's "National Security Plan of 2005." Using the Klepak Threat Analysis Method, the author analyzes the threats that faced the Dominican Republic at the end of the Cold War and the new threats facing the country that are identified in the 2005 National Security Plan. The resulting analysis provides a basis for determining what the new roles of the Dominican Armed Forces and the National Police should be for the 21st century. The author then reviews the legal instruments that authorize these roles -- the Dominican Constitution, Armed Forces Doctrine, and the Statutory Law of the Armed Forces -- and identifies changes that should be made to them. Among the proposed changes is that the Dominican Constitution be amended to separate the mandate of the Armed Forces from that of the National Police. In addition, the author recommends reformulating the doctrine of the Armed Forces to make it more consistent with Dominican reality. A further recommendations is the adoption of a more flexible Statutory Law to allow the military of the Dominican Republic to confront a wider variety of threats, such as drug trafficking, natural disasters, social conflicts, and illegal immigration. Finally, the author recommends that the Dominican Republic stop thinking of peacekeeping operations as damaging, and that the government resist the temptation to use the military in roles that jeopardize the military's burgeoning professionalism.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 15, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA471101
Entities
People
- Jose D. Arias
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College