The National Military Strategic Plan for the War on Terrorism: An Assessment
Abstract
The "National Military Strategic Plan for the War on Terrorism" (NMSP), released by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on February 1, 2006, sets out the Pentagon's broad strategy for executing, and presumably winning, the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). The NMSP can be viewed as an elaboration of part of the larger and more holistic set of policies spelled out by the Department of Defense (DoD) in its June 2005 "Strategy for Homeland Defense and Civil Support." The latter envisions a layered approach towards homeland defense and security based on a distinction between the following: Forward Regions, Approaches to the United States, the U.S. Homeland, and the Global Commons (space and cyberspace). Although the NMSP does not specifically position itself within the rubric of the larger June 2005 strategy paper, its focus on attacking terrorist networks abroad, strengthening international governance, and creating a global environment inhospitable to terrorists suggest that it should be viewed as a DoD articulation of the "Forward Regions" component of the overall strategy. The NMSP's primary flaw is that it sets out policy goals that are highly impractical and ultimately largely unachievable. In so doing, it will not only embolden America's enemies when the United States invariably fails to achieve those policy goals, but also will create unrealistic expectations among allies and the American public. The danger here is that not meeting those expectations will create a sense that the government and military are losing the war on terrorism because central policy goals set out by the military are not being met. In sum, the NMSP should be just that: a military strategy, not a political, economic, or social one. The U.S. military can fight terrorists in the traditional sense of the term. By setting this as its true policy goal, the Pentagon will be creating a goal that is achievable.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA484220
Entities
People
- Nadav Morag
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School