Global War on Terrorism: Analyzing the Strategic Threat
Abstract
The establishment of the Center for Strategic Intelligence Research (CSIR) at the Joint Military Intelligence College (JMIC) has allowed for Intelligence Community (IC) professionals, who participate with the Center as Research Fellows, to blend their unique talents with those of academia. This has resulted in the publication of several books and papers since 2003 that bring these two approaches together. A result of this CSIR process is presented in this paper, which was researched and written by a senior Research Fellow from October 2002 to September 2003. The work is not meant to be an end point in the dialog between intelligence and academia, but only a start toward invigorating the debate as to how best to focus IC energies and resources to engage in what is currently being called the Global War On Terrorism (GWOT). The IC mission is to organize itself and educate or train its analysts in such a way as to create the capability for accurately informing both policymakers and warfighters. In the GWOT, the United States faces a type of war that is unique in its history. The IC must accept the responsibility for defining that war by providing an understanding of the enemy, his strengths, weaknesses, and worldview. It is only with this understanding that U.S. policymakers can begin to define victory, and articulate the ramifications of defeat. U.S. forces and IC assets must also adapt to what will likely be a prolonged conflict by modifying structures, equipment, and intelligence collection capabilities to counter the strategic, operational, and tactical threat threats that the IC must understand and define and for which it must establish intelligence collection requirements. The global Jihad being waged against the United States is not a matter for an intelligence task force, but rather for an entire mobilized and focused IC, acting with anticipatory engagement over a prolonged period.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA476563
Entities
People
- Russell Swenson
Organizations
- National Intelligence University