Category: Warfare

The twentieth century is marked as one of the important eras in history because of significant wars and deaths. The number of individuals who lost lives during the 20^th century is estimated as 187 million, equivalent to 10% of the world’s population in 1913 (Nentwig 2237). The First Moroccan Crisis, World War I, and the Great Depression are among the most remarkable events in the early 20^th century. Therefore, being a soldier at that time required much determination, effort, and discipline.

I was privileged to work in the military during the early 20^th century and witnessed different German events. Munholland (327) explains that the First Moroccan crisis occurred on March 3, 1905, when Kaiser Wilhelm arrived in Morocco to support the sultan. This provoked Britain’s and France’s anger and adversely affected their relations with Germany (Munholland 330). The possibility of being encircled by enemies made the military stay alert at all times. This created tension and hostility between Germany and France because they wanted to control the affairs of Morocco (Munholland 331). As a result, military men experienced significant criticism and were ready to fight and defend their nation. Munholland (334) explains that the First Moroccan crisis played a crucial role in the First World War that occurred between 1914-1918, which was one of the bloodiest conflicts of the century. Williamson (796) explains that Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination in 1914 contributed to the conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia and caused WWI. I had not seen many people lose lives in my career as I did during the First World War. The military used new technology such as airplanes, submarines, poison gas, and machine guns to destroy property and kill people. This is the first time I felt the unpredictability of life because I did not know when or how I would be attacked or killed. Consequently, I knew that I would be called upon anytime to participate in the war or help the injured soldiers. The war was gross because it claimed my friends’ and family members’ lives. Twenty million individuals lost their lives, with 9.5 being soldiers and over ten million civilians (Williamson 799). I was lucky to survive but sustained severe injuries from a deadly gas ambush. When the war ended, it caused adverse effects on people and military personnel.

The end of WWI caused severe economic outcomes in different countries worldwide because of property destruction. This resulted in the Great Depression between 1929 and 1939, characterized by high unemployment rates and banks’ collapse (Meltzer 455). As a soldier, I saw people lose lives due to hunger while others closed their businesses. Many families broke up because men could not feed their wives and children. I was personally affected because I had saved some funds in one of the banks that closed. I woke up one morning and was devastated after looking at the area that was once green and beautiful but looked like a desert after WW1 and the Great Depression. However, I was determined to ensure that civilians were protected because I felt that Hitler was unfair to the Jews after being appointed as Germany chancellor in 1933 (Meltzer 456). I always valued other people’s freedom of worship and life; therefore, I did not particularly like killing or forcing people to live in concentrated camps.

One of my most outstanding achievements is when I saved a child from people who wanted to confine them in concentration camps. This is because I understood the heinous acts such as rape and killings that happened in those places. Therefore, I took the baby to my residence, which motivated me to fight for others’ rights. I valued my relationship with people in society, although they had various views about the military. Some people assumed that soldiers were murderers, while others appreciated their efforts towards protecting the community. This posed a challenge to my career because I faced hostility after visiting some of my community’s households. These inhabitants thought that I had gone to spy or attack them. However, I did not blame their approach because I understood their tension after the end of WWI. My experience as military personnel helped me develop new intelligence and defense mechanisms while serving my country. I also learned the essentiality of having a friendly relationship with people. This is because the sour interrelation between Germany and other countries resulted in the loss of military men’s lives.

In conclusion, the disadvantages of being a soldier in the early 20^th century exceeded the advantages. This is because many people died, and property was destroyed. I had an opportunity to save a needy child from cruelty, but it was also a challenge to convince people that my primary responsibility was to protect them. However, killing the Jews during the Holocaust adversely affected my view towards Hitler because I believe in the freedom of worship and expression. I did not judge individuals’ thoughts because I understood that they had experienced fear and tension from the war and economic depression.

Works Cited

Meltzer, Allan H. “Monetary and Other Explanations of the Start of the Great Depression.” Journal of Monetary Economics, vol. 2, no. 4, 1976, pp. 455-471. doi:10.1016/0304-3932(76)90043.

Munholland, Kim. “Rival Approaches to Morocco: Delcasse, Lyautey, and the Algerian-Moroccan Border, 1903-1905.” French Historical Studies vol. 5, no. 3, 1968, pp. 328-343. doi:10.2307/286044.

Nentwig, Lutz. “LeMO: A virtual Exhibition of 20th-Century German History.” Computer Networks vol. 31, no. 21, 1999, pp. 2237-2244. doi:10.1016/S1389-1286(99)00099-7.

Williamson, Samuel R. “The Origins of World War I.” The Journal of Interdisciplinary History vol. 18, no. 4, 1988 pp. 795-818. doi:10.2307/204825.

Introduction

Due to the supremacy of the United States’ conventional forces and its advanced and superior weaponry, few adversaries will intentionally pursue a confrontation with it. Therefore, future enemies who would like to engage the USA militarily will resort to using asymmetric warfare which involves cheap weapons and some strategies aimed at weakening the U.S. military resolve. The employment of such irregular strategies by the enemies will allow them to impede the employment of conventional military capabilities. The US opponents in Afghanistan and Iraq resolved to use these techniques because insurgents were aware that they could not match the U.S. military power in a conventional confrontation.

After assessing the changes in military warfare, the policy-makers in the US decided to change tactics so that they could use other irregular methods to defeat the adversaries in Iraq and Afghanistan. Notwithstanding the unmatched success of the Special Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, the combatant commanders and the senior army officers are unwilling to use asymmetrical warfare[1]. This paper aims to understand why senior military officers are reluctant to adopt unconventional warfare during military engagements.

The Research Problem

The new environment of operation that the USA military faces are due to the challenges of unconventional warfare. Irregular military confrontations are imperative for the opponents of the USA and it is the main factor in the threats the country will face in the future. The genesis of asymmetric warfare is challenging the military superiority of the USA because it is a new field in which the Special Forces do not have much experience. The joint military of the USA formulated a plan of maintaining unique and superior capabilities as they prepare to face any potential military threat whether irregular or regular[2]. The military capability will force the opponents of the USA to use unconventional techniques such as ambushes because no enemy will dare face the USA military conventionally because they cannot engage on equal terms. Before determining missions and roles and even suggesting strategies, a keen look must be made at the threat posed by the adversary to make the right decisions. Their approaches, motivations, and the various methods they use to hit their targets must be studied. The USA Military has found it difficult to use asymmetrical techniques due to its sophisticated superiority[3]. The army does not use a single component in its strategy but rather an amalgamation of systems.

Irregular warfare employs techniques that the USA Special Forces are not traditionally used to in combats. The unconventional military battles rely on methods such as ambushes which the special forces are not well-trained. The opponents of the USA may decide to fight in challenging environments such as big cities or jungles where the USA forces will be at a disadvantage because they are not used to such methods[4]. The USA forces are restricted by military rules of engagement from fighting in areas where there are large populations such as big cities.

Unconventional warfare thrives in the environment of simplicity where low-technology and low-cost weapons are used and not in complex superior militaries such as the USA forces. It is therefore difficult for the United States forces to degrade themselves to such levels to fight the enemies. All these reasons have made the USA’s senior military commanders reluctant to adopt asymmetrical warfare. To address this problem, the following primary research question will guide the study: Will the USA Army Special Forces be required to redefine their doctrine, mission, organization, and training as a result of the ever-changing roles facilitated by the unconventional risky environment?

Literature Review

Throughout history there are several examples of enemies who have tried to take advantage of their opponents in military confrontations. Irregular warfare mainly exists when there is a lack of resources to wage conventional warfare and when the adversary cannot match the military superiority of the opponent. The analysis of the relevant literature will show whether the unconventional warfare tactics were conducted for the above reasons and whether they were successful. Augustus who was the Roman Emperor in 9 A.D. decided to make Germany a Roman province directly controlled by the governor appointed by the emperor. The agricultural resources and their strategic place made it attractive to advance the prosperity of the empire[5]. However, the Teutonic tribes were not ready to accept their territory to be under the Roman Empire.

The Teutonic tribes who were warriors by nature vehemently opposed the domination of the Roman Empire, and their leaders and the prince from the tribe of Cherusci secretly organized the Teutonic tribes to resist the Roman occupation. Unluckily for the Romans, they thought that Arminius, who was the Teutonic tribe’s leader was on their side. They even gave him Roman citizenship and promoted him to the position of a Roman Knight. He decided to employ the deception method in the whole period when they were organizing to confront the Romans. [6] Arminius planned to ambush the Romans by deceptively reporting to the emperor that there was a rebellion amongst the Teutonic tribes. Varus, who was the Roman leader, decided to gather his forces and match to face the rebellion either to smash the resistance or force them into submission. Arminius even misleadingly escorted them as they marched to the North to face the Teutonic resistance. He planned to lay an ambush in an enclosed area along the Teutoburg Forest where he knew his forces would inflict maximum causalities on the Roman forces. The combination of the knowledge of how the Romans were planning to attack and the disinformation plan gave his forces an advantage. Since his force was smaller and not well-equipped as the Romans, his attack was to be unconventional. He had organized his forces in a non-linear manner and the un-ideal environment for the Romans gives them an advantage. The Roman military strength, equipment, and superior training were negated by this meticulous planning by Arminius[7]. The Roman forces found themselves in a disadvantaged position where they were vulnerable in unfamiliar terrain rendering them unable to attack.

The Teutons with knowledge of ambushing techniques dug trenches and built walls to seal the escape routes. Additionally, the whole area was covered with massive forests making the Romans helpless. The savages while screaming and shouting appeared from the bushes and descended on the Roman Forces. The Romans were overrun and most of them were killed[8]. The unconventional tactics proved successful in annihilating a very powerful Roman army.

Theoretical Framework

This study will employ the Theory of Special Forces which considers the field dangerous. The USA has reached the third stage of the Special Forces and these special units are involved in complex missions internationally to ensure that there is global peace. The theory will be used to design new ways in which the United States can decisively deal with the emerging issues of unconventional warfare. It will try to show that the Special Force’s transformation into asymmetrical warfare is not dangerous but mandatory. The study hypothesizes that asymmetrical warfare is the most relevant in achieving objectives and strategy if conducted within the specific principles[9]. To test the hypothesis, military officers and policymakers of both gender in the USA will be interviewed.

Research Design

To test the hypothesis of this study, primary and secondary data will be used. The supporting information will be obtained through designed questionnaires and surveys which will be given to the subjects that meet the eligibility criteria for this study. A total of 180 people will be interviewed through surveys and questionnaires. The respondents must be above 23 years of age and they should be either serving in the Special Forces or retired. The government policymakers will also be interviewed; they should be either serving or retired. The ratio of females to males in the study will be 70:30[10]. To make this qualitative study of the highest integrity and reduce bias, the subjects will be selected randomly and the sample size will be enough to give a true picture of the issue.

Foonotes

1. Lynch, Chris. Unconventional Warfare (Special Forces, Book 1). New York: Scholastic, 2018. “1. Special Operations Forces and Modern Warfare.
2. Obernier, Jennifer A., and Sanders, Frank N., 2016. Enabling Unconventional Warfare to Address Grey Zone Conflict.
3. Neville, L. (2019). The elite: The A–Z of modern special operations forces. Osprey Publishing.
4. Hughes, Brian, and Fergus Robson. Unconventional Warfare from Antiquity to the Present Day. Springer, 2017.
5. Maxwell, David S. Do We Really Understand Unconventional Warfare? Small Wars Journal, Small Wars Foundation.2020.
6. Najzer, Brin. Clarifying Hybrid Warfare: Investigation and Elucidation of the Phenomenon of Low-level Coercion and Conflict in the Grey Zone.
7. Neville, Leigh. Special Forces in the War on Terror. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2015.
8. Winters, John, and Eric Adams. Delta Force: The Elite US Special Forces Unit.
9. Carothers, Dale. Teutoburg Forest. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2020.
10. Palmer, Drew. Research Methods in Social Science Statistics. Scientific e-Resources, 2019.
11. Winters, J., & Adams, E. (2016). Delta Force: The elite US Special Forces unit.

Bibliography

Carothers, Dale. Teutoburg Forest. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2020.

Hughes, Brian, and Fergus Robson. Unconventional Warfare from Antiquity to the Present Day. New York: Springer, 2017.

Lynch, Chris. Unconventional Warfare (Special Forces, Book 1). New York: Scholastic, 2018.

Maxwell, David S. “Do We Really Understand Unconventional Warfare?” Small Wars Journal (2020). Web.

Najzer, Brin. Clarifying Hybrid Warfare: Investigation and Elucidation of the Phenomenon of Low-level Coercion and Conflict in the Grey Zone. London: University of Aberdeen, 2018.

Neville, Leigh. Special Forces in the War on Terror. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2015.

Neville, L. The elite: The A–Z of modern special operations forces. New York: Osprey Publishing, 2019.

Obernier, Jennifer A., and Frank N. Sanders. “Enabling Unconventional Warfare to Address Grey Zone Conflict.” Small Wars Journal (2016) Web.

Palmer, Drew. Research Methods in Social Science Statistics. London: Scientific Resources, 2019.

Winters, John, and Eric Adams. 2016. Delta Force: The elite US Special Forces Unit. New York: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016.

Defining the Problem

After the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, the American nation was considerably distraught and shaken. With many people having never imagined that such an event would occur, the government officials quickly attempted to impose countermeasures so that such a tragedy may not happen again. The same month as the event itself, president George W. Bush has signed into power the “Patriot Act”, designed to prevent future instances of terrorism. The bill was designed to improve homeland security in various ways, including the use of surveillance, wiretaps, the usage of delayed search warrants, and an overall increase in the police and investigative power connected with possible terrorist attempts.

May

• Biblical Guidelines: According to the principle of Sphere Sovereignty, existing as a part of Christian Democracy, the government’s job is to safeguard its citizens and guarantee their comfortable living. In this regard, the act supports efforts of preventing possible tragedy and combating the terrorist threat. On the other hand, the bible itself also mentions the importance of privacy, which is one of the foundational rights of the American people. As noted by Proverbs 25:9, “Argue your case with your neighbor himself, and do not reveal another’s secret” meaning that people should not reveal or know about other people’s affairs without permission. The use of wiretapping surveillance in cases of suspecting a terrorist can easily violate this principle.
• Constitutional Guidelines: Analyzing the constitution’s view on the issue, one can also find it to be divided on the subject. Article 4, Section 4 of the constitution specifically highlights the government’s responsibility to protect its citizens, putting an emphasis on the threat of invasion. While Terrorism is somewhat of a different issue, the section is still relevant, as it dictates the government’s responsibilities before its people. While the constitution does not explicitly mention an individual’s right to privacy, the 3^rd amendment protects people and their property from unreasonable searches. As the Patriot Act permits law enforcement to provide a warrant after the search, it seems to contradict the 3^rd amendment.

Can

• Political Feasibility: The bill has amassed a lot of controversy over its existence. Passed during the height of the terrorist panic, it introduced serious measures towards preventing possible crime. As the initiative mainly focuses on prevention, not remedy, it is difficult to determine its effectiveness. The power it gave to law enforcement was used both for crime prevention and for violating the rights of innocent people.
• Practical feasibility: The patriot act has expanded the capabilities of law enforcement, giving them more opportunities to investigate, track, and prevent terrorism-related crime. The police and government agencies have been actively using their surveillance and wiretapping techniques to investigate potential suspects (Myths and Realities About the Patriot Act). “sneak and peek” searches of people’s property are also being conducted, and many of them lead to uncovering criminal activity of various kinds.

Should

The patriot act passes the May part of the analysis halfway, largely due to the clash between its intended purpose and the methods it endorses. While both the bible and the constitution support the government protecting its citizens, the use of surveillance and non-warranted searches is highly questionable. The Can section is easier in this regard, as the act has been passed (with its share of controversy) and brings tangible results. Overall, the sentiments covered by the act are legitimate, but the approaches it uses are harmful to the privacy of America’s citizens, making it a poor choice for solving the issue.

Works Cited

Myths and Realities About the Patriot Act.

Tom Grace, an eyewitness of a shooting that took place at the campus of Kent State University, described his emotions and feelings related to this event. During the student demonstration against the U.S. intervention in Cambodia, the National Guardsmen came and started to make the students leave by bayonets, tear-gas, stones, and shooting. Four students were killed during this event, nine were wounded, and many received a psychologically traumatic experience.

When the National Guardsmen came to the university, Grace felt that the presence of these armed people at the campus was wrong and hostile. He thought that it was them who should leave the university, and not the students who lived and studied there. After the trial, the officers were not punished for killing innocent people, but Grace supposed that some of them feel guilty for that.

Grace’s account of events allows one to see the event with the eyes of a person who was there. It could serve as evidence during the trial against the officers who shot the students. As for the inscription of the memorial, Grace’s variant “On May 4, 1970, units of the Ohio National Guard Company H. 107th Armored Cavalry (Troop G) and Company A, 145th Infantry Regiment shot and killed four student protesters and wounded nine others during a demonstration against the U.S. invasion of Cambodia” describes the event as it is (Grace, 1970). However, it perhaps does not allow to feel the horror that felt these students and the injustice of their shooting. I would suggest an inscription: “Here four students who wanted to live in a peaceful country were killed by the soldiers of this country. May 4, 1970”. It can make the reader remember the student’s ideas for which they had to die and to realize that the soldiers that were supposed to protect the people shot them instead.

Work Cited

Grace, Tom. The Shooting at Kent State, 1970.

Biological agents differ from nuclear, radiological, and chemical ones by the methods of influence on the human body and by the size of the expansion. Biological warfare, also called germ warfare, is one of the most known weapons of mass destruction. Germ warfare involves various toxins, bacteria, insects, or viruses and is used in order to kill humans or start a war. There are various ways of a biological attack, such as infecting people by the alimentary route or implementing infectious aerosols.

In my opinion, biological warfare is one of the most severe methods of starting a war or torturing enemies. Biological warfare is considered as one of the most demolishing weapons as it does not require any special skills to be used, is cost-effective, and difficult to disclose, but can target the entire population (Flora, 2019). From my point of view, the future perspectives or threats of using such an agent remain unpredictable. Military and scientific forces of no countries currently possess the needed knowledge, equipment, technologies to cultivate biological weapons that could harm the entire humanity or nation in short terms or produce the wanted impact. However, in the future, in the case of the development of such a weapon, the owner would be in a privileged position, and international conflicts would seem to become more brutal. Those weapons’ impact would still be unpredictable and could even lead to the extinction of humanity.

Nowadays, it is the era of microbiology, and countries possess huge amounts of scientific labs. Therefore, humans have the possibility to examine viruses, learn their impact on the body, and develop ways of protection. To my mind, none of us are ready to fight such biological agents, as seen in the current COVID-19 example. Therefore, new methods such as immunity-raising drugs, more qualified virologists, or high-reactionary systems require to be developed. However, people’s knowledge on that issue can be adapted to new situations as well.

References

Flora, S.J.S., Pachauri, V. (2019). Handbook on biological warfare preparedness. Academic Press.

Bioweapons

Terror groups or a hostile country conducting a biological attack on the United States is a slim potential that must be considered, necessitating medical emergency response planning. Various multi-agency models have highlighted shortcomings in processes designed to combat biological threats. These drills have allowed us to focus preparedness efforts on the need for contingency plans. These plans will deal with the likelihood of a significant biowarfare attack on overwhelming healthcare services, causing mass disease and fatalities and wreaking havoc on the economy. Various factors will influence the effective deployment of vaccinations, antibodies, and other therapies in a biowarfare attack (Samore, 2021). Therefore, given the enormous challenges involved in cultivating, weaponizing, and disseminating contagious viruses, I believe the possibility of an attack, particularly a large-scale one, is unlikely.

Preparedness to Respond to a Biological Attack

From my perspective, we lack the capabilities to combat chemical and biological weapons. The current global outbreak of COVID-19 has revealed our healthcare system’s inability to battle the virus due to a lack of capacity, competence, and preparedness. Furthermore, before the September 11 crimes, multiple US agencies and research institutions performed a simulated biological strike called Dark Winter in 2001, employing the smallpox virus as the vector (Samore, 2021). The simulation, which was based on current stocks of the smallpox vaccine at the time, estimated approximately 12 million available dosages of smallpox immunization and exposed severe vulnerabilities in the public healthcare system. These shortcomings may make it difficult to respond effectively to spontaneous germ warfare or catastrophic viral epidemics.

One of the major issues uncovered throughout the experiment was a paucity of vaccination. This scarcity has been resolved, particularly in the case of smallpox, with the entry of millions of doses of smallpox vaccine into the US vaccine supply. The current COVID-19 epidemic, on the other hand, demonstrates this problem. Besides, the response of victims subjected to anthrax after the 9/11 attacks highlights this subject’s problems. In this instance, many affected people’s hesitation to obtain the anthrax vaccination reflected their fear of the drug’s adverse side effects and their suspicion of clinical specialists (We Are The Mighty, 2020). This mistrust could be a significant impediment to effective bioweapons suppression in any large-scale biowarfare event.

Improvements to Bioweapons Attack Preparedness

I would consolidate and increase collaboration across the various federal, state, and local institutions dealing with national health and safety crisis readiness, prevention, and management in the United States to boost our readiness standard. I would enhance the CDC and PHPR resources to build and reinforce public readiness for infectious disease epidemics and emergencies caused by natural, inadvertent, or deliberate disasters (Samore, 2021). Some of the resources will go to the Strategic National Stockpile, which is in charge of inventories of vaccinations, medications, and emergency relief that may be distributed in the event of a disaster.

Furthermore, I would establish and deploy study and examination agencies to investigate the scientific basis of biological concern dangers. These agencies will conduct studies and research on current and prospective biological threats. They will also examine model simulations and risk assessments and determine likely outcomes. Hence, defenses such as sensors, medicines, vaccinations, and decontamination treatments will be developed. Other groups in charge of dealing with and researching bioweapon attacks will assist researchers in identifying assailants and understanding the source and mechanism of the hit. Local and state medical institutions, governmental and non-governmental facilities, and state and local police groups will all be included in the case of a biological warfare health emergency.

Conclusively, I suggest a budget of $2.69 trillion for civilian biodefense. Most of the “biodefense” operations supported by this financing are intended to improve biodefense, overall readiness, mitigation, and responsiveness. In addition, the financial approach for countering bioterrorism may be used to develop and implement Health Alert Networks (HAN), which would provide an easier way of detecting any possible bioterrorism danger signals such as unusual disease symptoms.

References

Samore, G. (2021). Nobody is checking for violations of the Biological Weapons Convention. Global Biodefense.

We Are The Mighty. (2020). The British considered wiping out Germany with anthrax. We Are The Mighty.

Silke, A. (Ed.). (2019). Routledge handbook of terrorism and counterterrorism. Routledge.

The book describes the main acts carried out by the group, as well as its fundamental motives. In that way, the source includes information on the 1978 bank robberies and other violent actions that ultimately led to the Sri Lankan Civil War. Additionally, LTTE’s objective to create an independent and separate state for Sri Lankan Tamils, who the government had previously oppressed, is reviewed. The research source is relevant for investigating the goals of the terrorist group, as well as explaining the establishment of an independent Tamil state. Therefore, it would be helpful for my analysis of LTTE’s emergence process.

Thurairajah, T. (2021). Performing nationalism: The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and Sri Lankan Tamil diasporic politics in Switzerland. The Geographical Journal, 188(1). Web.

The themes of Tamil nationalism are explored in the following source. The article highlights ways through which the Sri Lankan minority groups acknowledged their right to an independent state and how such groups shared their ideology beyond their country. The source’s relevancy to the exploration of the group’s ideology is evident, as it explains its impact on the rest of the world. It was useful in the process of defining the concept of Tamil nationalism in my paper.

Sauerborn, D. (2017). Political violence revisited: The liberation tigers of Tamil Eelam. Terrorism Revisited, 181-198. Web.

This research paper focuses on the leader of LTTE, Velupillai Prabhakaran. Specifically, his role in the establishment and progress of the terrorist group are discussed. Furthermore, the paper also mentions LTTE’s connections to other terror groups. Understanding the leader’s intentions and the organization’s total impact on other groups is relevant for an in-depth investigation of LTTE. Apart from that, I referred to this information while assessing the organization’s failure in attempting to create an independent state.

Davies, S. E., & True, J. (2017). When there is no justice: gendered violence and harm in post-conflict Sri Lanka. The International Journal of Human Rights, 21(9), 1320-1336. Web.

While emphasizing the effect of Sri Lankan conflicts on targeted genders and issues of social inequality, the paper reviews the violent and unethical methods of LTTE, including children abduction and blackmail. These crimes are described to highlight the importance of ceasing targeted violence in areas of conflict. While investigating the group’s terroristic features, I was able to include the related child recruitment and violence methods to emphasize their impact.

Fazil, M. M., & Fowsar, M. A. M. (2020). The end of Sri Lanka’s civil war and the fall of the liberation tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE): A critical analysis of the contributed factors to the defeat of the LTTE. Journal of Politics and Law, 13(4). Web.

The critical analysis provides insight into the ways the organization maintained its resources to battle national security, including financial support and weapon sales. Moreover, the paper explores possible reasons for LTTE’s fall and the factors that had contributed to it significantly. Its perspective on the mentioned topics is relevant for an evaluation of the group’s organizational tactics and possible reasons for their insufficiency. Ultimately, the analysis also aided in understanding the issue from the terroristic group’s perspective.

Sarvananthan, M. (2018). ‘Terrorism’ or ‘Liberation’? Towards a distinction: A case study of the armed struggle of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Perspectives on Terrorism, 12(2), 1-18.

The paper aims to distinguish between the definitions of LTTE as either terrorism or liberation-related, providing specific references to its terroristic methods. Armed violence, forced public support, targeting civilians, and illegal recruitment methods contribute to the central argument of the organization being primarily terroristic. The empirical research of the article offers extensive information on the unethical and criminal aspects of LTTE. Hence, this source is useful for reviewing the group as a system based on terrorist approaches.

Marks, T. A. (2019). Countering Insurgencies and Violent Extremism in South and South East Asia. Routledge.

The book is focused on the main national strategies of battling terrorism, both successful and ineffective. Apart from research on the LTTE, other terroristic organizations are mentioned. Moreover, when explicitly referring to LTTE’s fall and conflict with the government, the source includes information on the cease-fire instances and their consequences. Evidently, the book can be integrated into the concluding section of the paper, in which the aftermath and final stages of the organization’s collapse are to be discussed.

Jashmiya, K. (2019). Political, social and economic issues of the rehabilitated ex-combatants in the Sri Lankan Northern Province. American Journal of Social Research, 1.

The article summarises the impact of the organization on the lives of its past members and their relatives. The source emphasizes the negative aspects of LTTE’s ex-combatants’ lives, demonstrating the group’s current demoralized state. Hence, the paper’s main ideas and modern perspective are critical in evaluating the organization’s future and possible supporters accurately. By using the arguments from this source I was able to integrate and conclude the previous research findings.

Chalk, P. (2021). Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’s (LTTE) international organization and operations – A preliminary analysis. Intelligence Resource Program (IRP). Web.

The source contains vast data on LTTE’s activity, fundraising, publicity, and propaganda. The authors accentuate the organization’s influence in geographical locations such as Northeast and Southeast Asia, Southeastern Europe, and the Middle East. The multiple perspectives help identify LTTE’s current role in international affairs, an essential part of my investigation.

Introduction

The nature and form of war change, but its fundamental nature remains constant. Nearly two decades of continuous irregular warfare against violent extremist organizations worldwide — the demand for skill in irregular hostilities continues. The leaders search for the best strategy for dealing with irregular warfare and preparing soldiers for operational actions. The path to changes can be the introduction of the Performance Triad and improving of the leaders’ personal qualities, taking into account the peculiarities of irregular warfare.

How Leaders can Implement the Performance Triad to Help Prepare their Organizations for Irregular Warfare

Irregular warfare is different from conventional ones and therefore requires special training. Irregular warfare, which is different in form, describes types of violence conducted by sub-state actors, including terrorism and insurgency (James D. Kiras, 2009, p. 3). Irregular forces on one or both sides almost entirely suppressed the ongoing conflicts after the invasion of Iraq, renewed Taliban insurgency in the 2001 war in Afghanistan, conflict in Darfur, the Lord’s Resistance Army uprising in northern Uganda, and the Second Chechen War.

Conducting effective actions in irregular warfare requires even more diligent use of the physical resources of soldiers; here, the Performance Triad can help. It is a comprehensive plan to build preparedness and resilience through public health initiatives and leadership engagement. Army Medicine has the privilege of maintaining, restoring, and improving the health of the entire Army family and helped the Army create the Performance Triad (Sleep, Activity, and Nutrition) initiative. Sleep is critical to the proper cognitive and physical functioning of the body. For soldiers, lack of sleep can slow down the execution of orders both on and off the training ground, harming soldiers and units. Keeping fit is the key to making a soldier ready for action. Staying active and adhering to safe and effective training principles allows soldiers to fulfill their job responsibilities and become more potent fighters. A healthy diet provides exercise, increases energy and stamina, shortens recovery times between activities, improves focus and concentration, and helps soldiers feel better.

The goal of the Performance Triad is to positively influence and maintain the health, readiness, and resilience of soldiers, and the entire army family. The pilot program, which began in 2013 and ended in 2014, reaffirmed the importance of committed leadership as a foundation to support soldiers and practice healthy sleep, activity and eating habits to support preparedness and resilience. The widespread implementation of this strategy will help strengthen the physical and moral training of soldiers, which is especially important in irregular warfare.

How the Execution of Mission Command during Irregular Warfare Will Have Different Challenges than during Conventional Conflicts

The increasingly complex security environment suggests the need for a revised understanding of irregular warfare. The problem of irregular cooperative solutions is in this combined routine: reactive adversaries such as terrorists, insurgents and criminal networks, advances in technology and other phenomena on a large scale such irregular infections, even more deadly, capable of causing widespread chaos. These emissions are entangling populations through the skillful use of communications, cyberspace, and technology so that their impact spreads to regional and global levels. Many of them manifest themselves, in essence, as a struggle for influence and legitimacy.

The Focus is on addressing the underlying economic, political, cultural, or security conditions that fuel the population’s grievances, rather than on applying military power directly against the military and paramilitary forces of adversaries (Department of Defense, 2010, p. 20). The Cold War experience shows that long-standing traditional warfare – troop movements, partner interactions, public relations, partner logistics, security assistance, intelligence, and counterintelligence activities, and training – complement and mutually support objectives. However, due to the nature of complex and amorphous attacks, these competitions are unlikely to end in a sudden military victory. Fixing, reducing, regulating the conflict and its causes can be determined as success. Joint strength thus must find multidimensional approaches in tandem with other partners to resolve the problems. Complex political, cultural, religious, and historical factors and the various populations involved in all conflicts are difficult to understand deeply enough. Understanding the complex features and causes of irregular warfare can contribute to the formation of the right strategist, both for soldiers and leaders.

How Leaders May Have to Adjust their Leadership Attribute of Intellect during Irregular Warfare

The army leadership requirements layout the attributes and competencies expected of every Army leader – character, presence, and intellect. These attributes often reflect personal experience and long-term development and are not immediately gained from direct training events. At the organizational level, they directly relate to how a leader behaves, influences organizational change, and guides the unit through obstacles and setbacks. Since irregular warfare usually results in protracted and unpredictable conflicts, the government should adjust the leader attributes to ensure maximum organization support and mission accomplishment. In irregular warfare, success requires a mindset that focuses on how to influence the population to support the HN leadership positively (United States Air Force, 2013, p.21). Intelligence consists of a person’s ability and knowledge. Intelligence enables leaders to be creative and engaging to understand what is happening, judgments, tasks, and actions. Intelligence enables leaders to reason analytically, critically, ethically, and culturally sensitive. Intellect participates in consideration of intentional and unintentional consequences of decisions made by the leader. Effective leaders must anticipate second and third-order the results of their decisions.

A leader’s mental ability affects how well he thinks and leads others. Every leader must be self-aware of their strengths and limitations and apply them accordingly. Leader development is the deliberate, continuous, and progressive process – founded in the Army Ethic – that develops Soldiers and Army Civilians into competent, committed professional leaders of character (Department of Army, 2017, p. 7). Innovative problem solutions tend to be inquisitive, trying to figure out why something is happening the way it is or asking questions if something might work better. Innovative leaders prevent complacency by finding new ways to challenge subordinates with alternative approaches and ideas (Department of Army, 2019, p.56). To be innovative requires creative thinking, using both adaptive (based on experience and prior knowledge) and innovative approaches (development of completely new ideas). Innovative leaders prevent complacency by finding new ways to challenge their subordinates.

To be innovators, leaders rely on their intuition, experience, knowledge, and input of their subordinates. Innovative leaders strengthen team building by holding everyone accountable – and stakeholders in innovation. Conventional forces have supported or led counterinsurgency campaigns in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan; stabilization missions in Bosnia and Somalia; and other irregular campaigns. The conventional military forces should not lose the ability to wage irregular warfare. Thus, competent leadership is the basis for building tactics of conducting military operations, especially during irregular warfare.

Conclusion

Recent experience shows that there are more efficient and less costly ways to achieve strategic success in Irregular warfare. Since 2014, conventional and special operations forces have worked closely in Iraq and Syria to improve the long-standing “through, with and through” approach to irregular warfare. These operations have proven to be more cost-effective than doing them yourself. The government has a model, but institutionalizing these lessons requires a solid, departmental approach. It is necessary to introduce innovative methods, taking into account the peculiarities of irregular warfare. Among the improvements currently evident, the government should widely distribute the Performance Triad, which will improve soldiers’ general level of training. In addition, it is necessary to conduct further research on the differences of irregular hostilities to adapt the preparation to atypical conditions. It is also worth paying attention to the need for particular behavior of leaders during irregular military conditions to quickly respond to the enemy’s constantly changing situation and characteristics.

References

Department of Army. (2019). Army leadership and the profession. Army Publishing Directorate Army Publishing Directorate. Web.

Department of Army. (2017). Army Training and Leader Development. Army Publishing Directorate. Web.

Department of Defense. (2010). Irregular warfare: countering irregular threats joint operating concept. Official Website of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Web.

James D. Kiras. (2009). Irregular warfare: terrorism and insurgency. Indian Strategic Knowledge Online. Web.

United States Air Force. (2013). Air force doctrine document 3-2. The official website of the Air Force. Web.

Introduction

The events of 9/11 remain a powerful reminder of why security and unity are so important when there is nothing else to support the nation. The tragedy that occurred in 2001 still takes a toll on numerous Americans due to them recalling the events and having no idea how those dreadful events could have been prevented. The public opinion regarding the implications of the tragedy tended to revolve around religion and the deep impact the attack would have on the relationships between the US and the Middle East (Lincoln, 2010). Nevertheless, an essential idea that can be revealed upon a detailed review of evidence is that most of the judgments are significantly limited. This may happen due to the minimalist outlooks on religion imposed by a thorough endorsement of the idea that certain elements of societal diversity could be dangerous for American society. Accordingly, the current essay is going to dissect the minimalist understandings of religion and the final instructions to the hijackers that attacked the Twin Towers to analyze the internal impact of the events of 9/11 on the United States and their foreign policy.

The Minimalist Understandings of Religion as a Contributor to Terrorism

The first important concept that stands out when one discusses the role of religion in the events that led to the 9/11 attack is the presence of restrictions that affected the religious efforts of people from the Middle East. It quickly became evident that the difference was too significant between the Western and the Middle Eastern worlds. Thus, the metaphysical concerns were overlooked for the sake of the country’s economy when the foreign policy could have become one of the key instruments for predicting the attack (Lincoln, 2010). Accordingly, when there was a need to review the key cultural preferences, the US government took a rigid stance that eventually made matters worse. The predisposition to look into market trends and follow those tendencies averted the Bush administration from seeing the real threat behind the cultural and religious bias. The lack of control over cultural and societal fluctuations gave terrorists more freedom in terms of picking the time and the place of their biggest attack on the US so far.

Based on the next point related to the minimalist understandings of religion, power and wealth always tend to expand rapidly when there is capitalist dynamism. In other words, economy-based rhetoric would make money too relevant compared to any other indicator of one’s socioeconomic status (Lincoln, 2010). This preoccupation with status and wealth has made many Americans miss the point where it came down to the terrorist attack that occurred on September 11, 2001. Even though the terrorists were aiming to damage material property and bring human casualties, the bigger cause was to put a split right in the heart of the American nation. This was a seductive diversion that contained at least two layers of monetary and socioeconomic damage that could not be foreseen or prevented by the US government (Lincoln, 2010). The main reason for addressing these points is the lack of an appropriate understanding of how one could protect themselves from a similar split in the future, given that the majority of US leaders support violent rhetoric aimed at potential threats from the Middle East.

Reflecting on the Final Instructions to the Hijackers

Upon review, it becomes evident that the final instructions to the hijackers represent a rather detailed document where the smallest details are covered to make it easier for attackers to accomplish their mission. For instance, Lincoln (2010) notes that the terrorists were to “obey all divine orders and remember that [they] will face decisive situations.” It shows how the head of the mission knew about the possible split in advance. They exerted leadership to motivate the attackers to hijack the plane even if certain elements of the plan did not seem to work as expected. The most important part of the message is that the members of the same group trying to achieve a common goal should “not fight amongst [themselves] or else [they] will fail.” (Lincoln, 2010). With this information in mind, it is understandable how a highly organized group of individuals was able to collaborate to conquer the chaos and ultimately destroy the Twin Towers.

Basically, it can be concluded that the hijackers chose fear as their instrument of controlling other humans since the process of accomplishing ultimate worship was their definitive objective. It shows how the attackers took the opportunity to generate a violent response and turned it into reality while causing major discomfort in the American nation (Lincoln, 2010). Therefore, the Western people became the enemy, and the violent argument voiced by the hijackers rather tangibly was rebutted by even more aggression from the US administration. This is where the minimalist understanding of religion can be utilized to explain how the lack of control could turn into a socioeconomic nightmare.

Conclusion

The enduring legacy of the 9/11 tragedy shows that there are numerous conditions that have to be considered when pondering upon the inherent meaning of the attack. The influence that the hijackers’ actions had on the American nation could not have been taken lightly. A thorough analysis of the documents related to how the attack was planned and carried out shows that religion was one of the moving forces that brought the US closer to the disaster over time. Even though the minimalist understanding of religion forced the US government to limit the effects of religion on the nation, it ultimately took a toll on the whole country after the Twin Towers were destroyed by the plane crashes. The vicious circle of blame and aggression became too unbearable, causing the country to break down under the impact of a split that struck right in the heart of the American nation.

To conclude, it has to be noted that cultural preferences and various indicators of diversity simply cannot be ignored in the future if the US does not want to relive a similar experience. The ideological limitations imposed by religion and minimalist outlooks on it seem to flaw the US foreign policy due to lopsidedness and vagueness. Even though the current essay does not necessarily serve as a direct source of critique aimed at the US foreign policy, the idea is that the approach to diversity and security should become suggestively more flexible. The lack of alternative ideas regarding the role of religion and its potential impact on the community has to be viewed by the US government as two uncontrollable variables in the Middle-Eastern-threat equation. In order to solve it, the country’s administration would have to pay closer attention to how various conflicts could be resolved with the help of collaboration and not hostility, with religion serving as the backbone to bridge the gap.

Reference

Lincoln, B. (2010). Holy terrors: Thinking about religion after September 11. University of Chicago Press.

The political and social debate on whether to defend civil liberties or counterterrorism measures in the United States has been of critical concern. Prior to the 9/11 attack, the US was known for its preservation and fight for civil rights. However, this changed with the high insurgence of terrorist attacks in European countries as well as the US itself. The courts have had to contend with numerous legal battles concerning the protection of personal privacy data and the need for access to such information for national security. I believe that civil liberties can be sacrificed during times of crisis, especially if it is done temporarily for the sake of the whole community.

While the Bill of Rights deems civil liberties as inalienable, it is illegal to consider any infringements. However, liberal democracy or civil liberties have historically been infringed upon in the face of significant national threats. A prime example is when Abraham Lincoln, during the Civil War, provided precedence for the necessity of civil liberty violations. During the outbreak of the war, Lincoln ordered a state of emergency declaring that all rights with certain states were suspended as well as caused the imprisonment of 13,000 civilians and further declared no inquiry be made regarding the same. Lincoln’s actions flouted the Constitution but were considered justified as he sought to save the country’s Union (Gorham-Oscilowski and Jaeger 450). The modern-day attempts by national security agencies have taken precedence from Lincoln’s actions when dealing with national as long as they are intended for the overall safety of the citizenry.

In addition to security crises, civil liberties are usually traded off whenever there is a significant health crisis trade-off in civil liberties. During a serious health outbreak, the cooperation of all citizens is important as it is the only way success can be achieved. It would be reasonable to trade off privacy and security concerns for the sake of the health of the whole population. While the Bill of Rights recommends that Americans have access to inalienable rights at all times, it is worth noting that infringements may occur temporarily until a period of crisis has ended.

Although Americans are usually willing to cooperate when they are called to trade off their liberties at times of crisis, there have been instances of resistance. The anti-mask movement of 1918 and 2020 during the Great Influenza and COVID-19 pandemics, respectively, are prime examples. Research has shown that people with lower education levels and a weak sense of attachment to the labor force are less likely to trade off their civil liberties (Yang). As a result, the opponents of trading off liberties are never willing as they usually feel that their interests are not well represented.

On the other hand, I presume that the awareness level concerning the consequences of not prioritizing national safety is the key factor in determining one’s willingness to give up their personal freedoms. Since I consider the collective well-being to be highly influential to my own state, I would be willing to accept governmental control for the sake of the population and, consequently, my own. In that way, allowing state officials to give valid recommendations and provide guidance based on objective goals would only benefit my position. At the same time, the idea of such guaranteed aid being offered only in cases of both medical and political crisis must be emphasized.

Works Cited

Gorham-Oscilowski, Ursula, and Paul T. Jaeger. “National Security Letters, the USA PATRIOT Act, and the Constitution: The tensions between national security and civil rights.” Government Information Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 4, 2008, pp. 625-644.

Yang, David. “Civil Liberties in Times of Crisis.”Center for History and Economics.