What Comes Next? An Argument for Irregular War in National Defense

Abstract

Asymmetric conflicts against irrational actors engaging in activities ranging from catastrophic terrorism to intrastate, ethnic, and civil wars are the most likely threat to U.S. security and interests. Conventional forces cannot deter terrorists and insurgents without costly deployments. The new U.S. strategy must be politically palatable and cost-effective, and it must prevent our enemies from attacking and destabilizing our allies and hurting Americans at home. The most dangerous threats to the United States are the ones for which we cannot prepare conventional responses, so it is essential that the United States develop and use irregular warfare (IW) as a deterrent that creates strategic depth. It must engage threats to homeland security before they achieve critical mass and move beyond their own borders. Offensive IW conducted by U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), along with carefully coordinated "Phase 0" activities, can achieve this goal.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2012
Accession Number
ADA568532

Entities

People

  • Phil W. Reynolds

Organizations

  • United States Army Combined Arms Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Artillery
  • Asymmetric Warfare
  • Civil War
  • Department Of Defense
  • Department Of State
  • Governments
  • Homeland Security
  • Military History
  • Military Operations
  • National Security
  • Security
  • Terrorism
  • Training
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • United States Special Operations Command
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

  • Fully Networked C3