Counterinsurgency Options

Anthony Joseph HernandezGrand Canyon University: EMM-442 Terrorism and Emergency

ManagementDecember 9, 2012

Why the U.S. Benefits from Counterinsurgency Program

• The U.S. has been using counterinsurgency since El Salvador when the program became effective in defeating rebels and terrorist.

• Small unit counterinsurgency teams have been effective in countering rebels and terrorist, in which large military operations are costly and ineffective in the capture of those responsible for the violence.

• Small counterinsurgency units can penetrate enemy security systems to disrupt or damage insurgent operations and capture individuals of interest.

• Counterinsurgency units have been responsible for the detention of violent leaders and insurgents such as General Noriega of Panama, President Hussein of Iraq and Osama Bin Laten in Afghanistan.

History of Counterinsurgency of U.S. Forces

• Today’s modern U.S. Counterinsurgency efforts started in Vietnam that were unsuccessful.

• U.S. Counterinsurgency had successful operations in El Salvador and were expanded on a international level.

• American counterinsurgency training by U.S. Forces became the standard international model for nations combating insurgency problems on a global

• level.

• International cooperation by the Global community in intelligence gathering.

• Creation of several government and private intelligence organizations on gathering data and analysis incident reports. Example of organizations such as National Intelligence Agency and GlobalIncident.Com.

The need of Special Strike Teams to Handle Terrorist Incidents

• The United States has had special military strike teams since World War II on a regular bases. U.S. Army Rangers created By Captain Roger Ranger.

• President John F. Kennedy believe future wars would be carry out by special strike teams. JFK created Sea Air and Land teams known as U.S. Navy SEALS. Expansion of the U.S. Army Special Forces , Rangers and Green Berets.

• These special forces of the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy have been used since the Vietnam War to the present time in counterinsurgency operations in conflicts around the world.

• Counterinsurgency operations require special forces to make surgical strikes to capture or eliminate terrorist suspects threats.

• Counterinsurgency U.S. units have been used for conflicts in Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Panama, Columbia, El Salvador and other conflict areas.

Best Practices of Counterinsurgency from Emergency Managements Perspective

• Successful operational practices in the use of U.S. Army Special Forces in helping Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to train Colombian Defense Forces and help combat narcoterrorist operations (Sepp, p. 9).

• Combined U.S. Special Forces and Colombian Special Forces to fight Revolutionary Army Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN) that were using sniper and bombing methods against the Colombian Government.

• Reduction and elimination of drug cartel leaders and military insurgent groups.

• Reduction of violent assassinations, kidnappings and bombings by drug cartels, FARC and ELN members.

• The disruptions and destruction of drug supply lines in Colombia, drug production plants and shipping supply lines into the U.S..

• Colombian and U.S. Law Enforcement joint investigations and enforcement.

Key Recommendations for Counterinsurgency Program

• Historical analysis of insurgent groups or organizations.

• Awareness of insurgent activities.

• Intelligence information gathering.

• Political process on policy development in dealing with insurgency problems.

• Law Enforcement in the detection, arrest and prosecution of insurgents.

• Counterinsurgent warfare operations as the final option in dealing with insurgents.

Manipulations of Government Policies by Insurgents

• Ireland-Irish Republican Army (IRA) were organized to attack police and the military in creating political change of British policies in Ireland.

• Colombia-FARC ( Fuerzas Armadas Revoluncionaris de Colombia) Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia committed acts of terrorism against The Colombian Government to affect policies against suppressed people. Then FARC joined with Drug Cartels to provide protections and receive money.

• United States- 9-11 incident in which terrorist used four hijack commercial airliners to be flown into buildings of New York and Washington D.C. The fourth aircraft was forced to crash by passengers. About close to 2,700 people died. 9-11 Planners hope that the attack would cause the U.S. to leave the Middle East

• Spain- Madrid train bombings in hoping to effect chain in government, so that Spain would pull out of the Middle East War. Socialist Party won the election and abide by the citizens wishes to pull out of the war.

Manipulation of Government Policies by Insurgents

As the few examples of insurgents and terrorist in the previous power point slides. Emergency Managers need to be aware of terrorist groups on how can use violence to affect political change of governments and instill fear into the public.

Attempts by insurgents or terrorist to influence political change or withdraw by the U.S., have backfired in which increase amount of drone aircrafts are used to take out enemy combatants.

Terrorist and insurgents use bombing as their primary choice to send a message to a government to influence change in their favor.

Terrorist Inflecting Chaos

• Terrorist motive is to destroy, injure and kill as many people to send a message and affect political change.

• Terrorist want to inflict pain, suffering, destruction and fear.

• Terrorist will continue to use violence to achieve their goals in what they want.

• Terrorist will always justify their acts of violence as the right thing to.

• Terrorist will justify their hatred or cause in committing an attack.

Responding to Terrorist Attacks

• Intelligence gather information is the first tool that governments need to use, sothe governments can identify who is responsible for the attempted attack or attack. Creation of a data base for intelligence information.

• Policies of action need to be developed, in order to respond to terrorist and their supporters of attempted attack or attack.

• Creation of national legislative laws for prosecution of those involved.

• Cutting off financial funding in which terrorist can not make bank transactions or money transfers companies to paid for their operations.

• Use of Law Enforcement to detain, arrest and prosecute those individuals in planning a attack or that has already committed a attack.

• Military force or special forces intervention to attack safe houses, resources and terrorist groups. Option use of unmanned aircraft attack drones.

Conclusion

Terrorist use force as a violent method to inflict destruction, injury and death of soft target population to force policy change of a government they oppose. The counter use of force and violence is the only options that can reduce or eliminate terrorist operations. Governments of the world should respond when their citizens are attacked, by use of police SWAT teams, criminal arrest, prosecution, imprisonment and the use of military option in use of deadly force to elimenate the threat.

Reference

2005, “ Best Practices in Counterinsurgency, Military Review, United States ArmyCombined Arms Center, Author Kalev I. Sepp, Ph.D