Today, the Council on Foreign Relations released my report detailing a new model for our nation's special forces. Meanwhile, the indirect approach languishes more as a bumper sticker rather than a tool that effectively addresses conflicts or emerging threats. That means that these forces are stuck conducting endless strikes on terrorist target lists, with no way to determine when a threat has been defeated. They can also create long term partnerships by building schools, wells, or providing medical aid to local populations.īut while the indirect approach has shown proven success, the lion's share of attention, effort, and resources over the past decade has been devoted to the direct approach. Special forces can carry guns in the field alongside a partner force supply direct assistance, such as airlift or intelligence or conduct training in special operations techniques. The indirect approach is not defined by capturing or killing a high-value target, but by shaping and influencing environments and populations to achieve a lasting victory. With just a few hundred special operators and some modest investments, the threats from terrorists, criminals, and armed separatists in Colombia and the Philipines were dramatically reduced, while regions important to the U.S. While the Philippines currently still struggle with insurgent groups, the al Qaeda threat has been largely eliminated. They also offered health care and built wells and roads for neglected Muslims. special forces began training and sharing intelligence with Philippine military units waging battle against jihadist groups, including Abu Sayyaf, a group affiliated with al Qaeda. special forces, Colombia has seen its violence and cocaine production drop dramatically, while the guerillas have released their prisoners and engaged in peace talks with the government. special forces were sent to Colombia to help build and train a large and capable special operations command and police unit to take on the narcoguerillas of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). Two key examples of this model come from Colombia and the Philippines. But the indirect approach is less understood and less well known. The direct approach is fairly well known and simple to grasp. To understand why there is this danger, one has to understand the two models of special operations-a direct approach of individual manhunting (such as the raid that brought down bin Laden) and an indirect approach of working through and with others. special forces face the serious danger of being bogged down in a permanent game of global whack-a-mole rather than operating as part of deliberate campaigns that can achieve lasting outcomes. special operations forces, like the bin Laden raid or the toppling of the Taliban regime after the 9/11 attacks.īut most Americans are unaware that U.S. In a few weeks, the country will honor the anniversary of the daring raid by navy SEALs that killed Osama bin Laden.īecause of the news or films like Zero Dark Thirty, most Americans are aware of the high-profile missions conducted by U.S.
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