Integrating the Religious Dimension into U.S. Military Strategy
Abstract
The United States is embroiled in a historic seventh year of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). Military policy and strategy should provide clear understanding of the challenge and a consensus on the way ahead. However, some argue U.S. policy and military strategy do not reflect a genuine understanding of our enemy's motivations, purposes, and methods. Without such understanding, al Qaeda remains a Hydra-like menace, and the U.S. remains beleaguered in its attempts to foster freedom and democracy among people with a different religion that profoundly influences culture and ideological domains. It is time to comprehend the religious dimensions in 21st century warfare. Only then can we "understand" and formulate proper policy and strategy to meet the religious challenges in the GWOT. The U.S. needs strategic religious understanding in order to combat terrorism and establish appropriate national military objectives, ways, and means. This paper identifies the appropriate objectives and argues ways and means. The way is better integration of the religious strategic dimension capabilities and capacities into the national military strategy for the GWOT. The means is special operations forces (SOF) to achieve our strategic objectives.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 24, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA500674
Entities
People
- Thomas L. Solhjem
Organizations
- United States Army War College