Replacing Saddam: Enabling Good Governance through Identification of Human Terrain Decisive Points
Abstract
Replacing Saddam: Enabling Good Governance through Identification of Human Terrain Decisive Points: During stability operations, the ability to identify and gain the support of key national and local leaders becomes critical to the success of the operational force. For this reason, the key leaders themselves become decisive points. Their support of rebuilding efforts will give the Joint Force Commander (JFC) a marked advantage while their opposition or lack of participation will give the enemy a marked advantage. This paper will demonstrate how the inability of Coalition Forces (CF) to properly identify and gain the support of key leaders across the society severely hampered the U.S. military's efforts to rebuild Iraq. Specifically, the paper will examine six different occupational groups where proven competence and leadership becomes decisive to success during stability operations: politicians, technocrats, security professionals, tribal sheikhs, religious leaders, and entrepreneurs. Finally, the paper draws conclusions concerning methods to determine human terrain decisive points and recommends areas for further research and analysis to codify these methods for use in future conflicts.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 29, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA535579
Entities
People
- David B. Snodgrass
Organizations
- Naval War College