By John Guandolo
It is now March of 2011. That jihadi attack on the United States is over nine years behind us. The declaration of a global jihad from Iran in 1979 is over 30 years in our rear view mirror. The national security apparatus of the United States has spent hundreds of billions of dollars to “make America safer,” yet we still have not defined our enemy – or even tried.
There is no place in the national security structure which has objectively evaluated the threat doctrine of our enemy, and then created a strategic plan for victory for the United States – per U.S. warfighting doctrine. This lack of strategic understanding of the nature of the threat we face is not only costing us lives on the battlefield in wars with no realistically stated objectives, but so long as we drift aimlessly, we cannot win and we allow the enemy to move our boat as he sees fit.
That is the enemy’s strategy. And he is executing with great success.
Does anyone wonder how it is the U.S. military is crushing the enemy on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan (and elsewhere) daily, yet not winning the strategic war?
The United States continues to view the wars (the establishment sees this as several conflicts, not as one global conflict) as kinetic engagements where guns, air power, drones, bombs, and other weapon of war are brought to bear on “Al Qaeda terrorists” and others with whom we are engaged on the many battlefields around the world.
At the FBI, the focus is on preventing the next attack. While this is important, “attacks” are not the main focus of effort for this enemy. Local and State Police are also focused on preventing attacks, the physical security of office buildings, critical infrastructure, and the safety of important public figures. When the subject of an investigation is found NOT to be involved in a plot to cause “violence” that case is closed and the investigator goes on to the next one in the stack.
This is where we are losing the war. While preventing a school bus bombing or the take-over of a bank by Jihadis should be taken seriously by our law enforcement officers, from the enemy’s perspective, these are tactical engagements, not strategic.
Every brand new intelligence officer in the United States military knows that when the United States evaluates a threat, our doctrine drives us to begin our process with WHO the enemy says he is and with WHAT the enemy says are HIS reasons for acting. That is where the U.S. analytical process begins – per our own doctrine. If we had done this after 9/11, we would not have so much confusion about the enemy we are engaging.
Keep reading..
[Mr. Guandolo is a 1989 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, a former active duty Infantry/Reconnaissance Officer in the United States Marine Corps, and a former Special Agent of the FBI in Washington, D.C. for over 12 years. --Editor]
It is now March of 2011. That jihadi attack on the United States is over nine years behind us. The declaration of a global jihad from Iran in 1979 is over 30 years in our rear view mirror. The national security apparatus of the United States has spent hundreds of billions of dollars to “make America safer,” yet we still have not defined our enemy – or even tried.
There is no place in the national security structure which has objectively evaluated the threat doctrine of our enemy, and then created a strategic plan for victory for the United States – per U.S. warfighting doctrine. This lack of strategic understanding of the nature of the threat we face is not only costing us lives on the battlefield in wars with no realistically stated objectives, but so long as we drift aimlessly, we cannot win and we allow the enemy to move our boat as he sees fit.
That is the enemy’s strategy. And he is executing with great success.
Does anyone wonder how it is the U.S. military is crushing the enemy on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan (and elsewhere) daily, yet not winning the strategic war?
The United States continues to view the wars (the establishment sees this as several conflicts, not as one global conflict) as kinetic engagements where guns, air power, drones, bombs, and other weapon of war are brought to bear on “Al Qaeda terrorists” and others with whom we are engaged on the many battlefields around the world.
At the FBI, the focus is on preventing the next attack. While this is important, “attacks” are not the main focus of effort for this enemy. Local and State Police are also focused on preventing attacks, the physical security of office buildings, critical infrastructure, and the safety of important public figures. When the subject of an investigation is found NOT to be involved in a plot to cause “violence” that case is closed and the investigator goes on to the next one in the stack.
This is where we are losing the war. While preventing a school bus bombing or the take-over of a bank by Jihadis should be taken seriously by our law enforcement officers, from the enemy’s perspective, these are tactical engagements, not strategic.
Every brand new intelligence officer in the United States military knows that when the United States evaluates a threat, our doctrine drives us to begin our process with WHO the enemy says he is and with WHAT the enemy says are HIS reasons for acting. That is where the U.S. analytical process begins – per our own doctrine. If we had done this after 9/11, we would not have so much confusion about the enemy we are engaging.
Keep reading..
[Mr. Guandolo is a 1989 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, a former active duty Infantry/Reconnaissance Officer in the United States Marine Corps, and a former Special Agent of the FBI in Washington, D.C. for over 12 years. --Editor]
4 comments:
Most of us know who the enemy is , but most just hide their head in the sand. Muslims are the enemy , they are out to consume all nations . When they do it from within , it is hard to notice until it's too late. All is fair in war , the silent war has been going on for years. The teachings of the Kuran are simple , they recognize only one religion , and it is death to all others. "READ IT"
Of couse ,some of you guys will think this comment is off the wall , but , it is happening now , open your eyes!!!
Recently, politically moderate opposition in Iran was brutally, murderously crushed during their last presidential election by their current president who loudly proclaims that he will destroy "the little Satan," Israel and "the great Satan," The United States. Yet Obama did not send military help moderate opposition from being crushed there.
Why is he helping the radical, terrorist Muslim Brotherhood overthrow Qaddafi? Qaddafi is a bully and no friend of the U.S. or Israel, but he isn't a current threat either. Those Obama is helping will be an infinitely greater threat to the national securities of Israel and the U.S. should they come to power. Why would any American president stop Qaddafi from neutralizing our enemies? Why indeed?
I dislike Qaddafi and the Muslim Brotherhood, but "IF" we are going to interfere, it should be on behalf of the faction that poses the least threat to OUR national security, period! That is, after all, the sworn duty of any American President, to protect OUR national security, not help our mortal enemies come to power.
I have always questioned why we were aiding an innocent population that just happened to have their very own jet fighter planes.
Something wrong with this picture?
We know who the enemy is and what they are all about. It would, however, be EXTREMELY politically incorrect to actually NAME (truthfully) who they are, so our "leaders" artfully dodge around it, to the point of not even calling them "terrorists" or "Muslim", when IN FACT, its MUSLIMS who are murdering babies, women and children shopping in local markets, tourists sleeping in hotels, and preaching world domination. They are the ones setting "bad" women on fire and stoning them to death to the cheers of the local (peaceful and peace-loving" Muslims. Or cutting hands, feet, heads, and noses off. Our "leaders" are afraid of their own shadow and DEATHLY afraid of being called a racist or a bigot. Muslims are not afraid to call for our very death, by any means possible, the more gruesome the better. but WE are afraid to even hurt their feelings...
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