Asymmetric warfare and the Intelligence

Asymmetric warfare and the Intelligence Analyst

“This is another type of war, new in its intensity, ancient in its origins war by guerrillas, subversives, insurgents, assassins… seeking victory by eroding and exhausting the enemy instead of engaging him.”  President John F. Kennedy, 1962

The aforementioned quote defines Asymmetry and the Counter Insurgency environment both historically and presently.  President Kennedy was aware that Asymmetry was not a new method of fighting, but was only intensified by the increasing enemy capabilities. The war against the communist forces led by Ho Chi Minh in the Vietnam War was not the first time America had faced an opponent who used indirect methods of combat.  However the U.S. now faced an enemy who was consistently changing and evolving.  Ho Chi Minh’s goal was to demoralize and frustrate the West using various methods of small guerrilla tactics.  The Vietnamese knew these tactics, either lethal or nonlethal, would assist in decreasing the American population’s support of the war and once the American population had tired Ho Chi Minh would secure a victory in his own rights.  Similar tactics and techniques are used on the present day battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. The insurgents have recognized time is an ally and an enemy of the West and will likely use these lethal and nonlethal tactics to further prolong the war.  The longer Troops are in Afghanistan the easier it becomes to exhaust American support of the war against terrorism. 

In order to understand and develop the mounting threat an analyst should be aware of the aspects of the organization they are targeting.  These aspects include but are not limited to: motivations/goals/objectives, social demographics, organization, support base, targets, methods of operations, strengths/capabilities, and vulnerabilities/limitations.  An intelligence analyst cannot effectively comprehend these aspects without first understanding the need to utilize all of the resources and tools available to them.  An effective analyst uses the integration of proven analytical techniques with new methods that take advantage of emerging technology.