Protecting Enemy Centers of Gravity: Mounting the Intelligence Campaign
Abstract
In the game Bop the Monkey children strike a monkey's head as it rises from a hole. As a system, the game has complete "situational awareness" relative to the rise and fall of monkey heads. Players don't know where the next monkey head will pop. Similarly, we capture terrorists when they emerge from their holes but are seldom sure where the next head will rise. To meet our national objectives requires processes that attack terrorism holistically, not piecemeal. To determine if we are on the right track requires metrics unlike those that merely quantify captures and kills. In the end, our strategy for the Global War on Terror (GWOT) must involve more than just bopping whatever terrorist head pops up. This paper proposes an asymmetric approach to fighting the GWOT that emphasizes protecting enemy Centers of Gravity (COGs) and provides a framework for developing metrics to assess progress. What is transnational terrorism's Center of Gravity? Some say it is Usama Bin Laden, as he not only commands the al-Qaeda network but his influence transcends the network's boundaries and incites radical Islamic fundamentalism. Hence, he should be captured or killed at the first opportunity. Counterarguments say that would make him a martyr, fueling more radicalism. Other authors note that radical extremists view the United States' inability to capture Bin Laden as a sign of "divine will" in favor of Muslims. Another perspective claims that the transnational terrorist COG is not an individual but rather the "extremist ideology" that permeates certain regions. Approaching the GWOT from the enemy's perspective necessitates asking, "What does the hub of the enemy's power look like to the enemy?"
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA477014
Entities
People
- Joseph E. Maher Jr.
Organizations
- Air War College