An American Way of Political Warfare A Proposal

An American Way of Political Warfare

A Proposal

by Charles T. Cleveland, Ryan C. Crocker, Daniel Egel, Andrew Liepman, David Maxwell

https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/perspectives/PE300/PE304/RAND_PE304.pdf

American combat experiences since 2001 have revealed stunning military capabilities and repeated tactical successes. Yet the United States has failed to achieve acceptable and durable political arrangements that serve and protect its interests, suggesting that there are fundamental flaws in its approach to modern warfare. This approach has emphasized conventional models and tools, making little accommodation for a changing adversary and its evolution toward nonconventional means, and the United States has proven unprepared for what the National Security Strategy has recognized as "fundamentally political contests" combining political, economic, cyber, and military means.

The authors propose the establishment of an American political warfare capability to orchestrate all relevant elements of U.S. national power in response to these nonconventional threats, both in war and in peace. This capability must be jointly funded and supported by both the Department of Defense and the Department of State, because of the requirement to operate in contests with and without armed conflict, with vital roles for the Intelligence Community and the United States Agency for International Development. Given political warfare's deliberate whole-of-government nature, the establishment of this capability would require support from both the President and Congress.

Critical to the success of this capability is the establishment, alongside the requirement for the capability itself, of a national political warfare center for studying, understanding, and developing whole-of-government concepts of action (policy, strategy, and campaigns) for responding to nonconventional threats. This center would provide the United States a needed venue to study and prepare for warfare in this space between peace and war.

SOF Support to Political Warfare White Paper

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited

UNITED STATES ARMY

SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND

SOF Support to Political Warfare

White Paper

Final

10 March 2015

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ma9jlges8psye49/Support%20to%20Political%20Warfare%20White%20Paper%20v2.3-RMT%20%2810MAR2015%29%20%20%20%20%281%29.pdf?dl=0

This white paper presents the concept of SOF Support to Political Warfare to leaders and

policymakers as a dynamic means of achieving national security goals and objectives.

Embracing the whole-of-government framework with significant targeted military contributions,

Political Warfare enables America’s leaders to undertake proactive strategic initiatives to shape

environments, preempt conflicts, and significantly degrade adversaries’ hybrid and asymmetric

advantages.

Applied at the regional or global level, Political Warfare emerges from a persistent and

purposeful synergy of diplomatic, economic, informational, and military efforts in unified

campaigns where military contributions support the attainment of broader strategic end states.

Taking advantage of skills, methods, and approaches resident in Special Operations Forces

(SOF), Political Warfare's military aspects integrate counter-unconventional warfare (C-UW)

and unconventional warfare (UW), foreign internal defense (FID), Security Sector Assistance

(SSA), and Information and Influence Activities (IIA), closely calibrated with and in support of

those of other government departments.

Political Warfare is a strategy suited to achieve U.S. national objectives through reduced

visibility in the international geo-political environment, without committing large military forces.

Likewise, Political Warfare can function as a critical, integrating element of U.S. national power

against non-state adversaries such as the current Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Most often, the Department of Defense role in Political Warfare will be one of supporting other

U.S. Government agencies that are more likely to lead strategy and planning development.

North Korea - All the dictator's men 42 minute documentary film)

A 42 minute video well worth watching on north Korea. It covers a number of important issues.  From Department 39 and its support to the Royal Court economy and the nuclear and missile programs to life in Pyongyang among the elite (and the scientists).  It covers cyber, overseas labor (example of Mongolia but also mentioned Kuwait and Poland), chemical weapons, the nuclear facility in Syria built with north Korean assistance, interview with Hugh Griffiths of the UN Panel of Experts.  

When discussing the regime's global illicit activities the question was asked if they are conducted in the US.  The respondent said not really  except for cyber.  The quote of the day is "We do everything we can to relieve the US of its money."

Korea watchers will recognize our good friend who used to work at Department 39 taking care of Kim Jong-il's money.  Since he was not named in the film I will not name jim but all Korea watchers will recognize him and he provides excellent insights (in English) on Department 39 and the Royal Court economy.

The video can be accessed at this link: https://www.dw.com/cda/en/north-korea-all-the-dictators-men/av-48149814

DOCFILM

North Korea - All the dictator's men

North Korea's dictator Kim Jong Un has not reined in its nuclear program, despite a number of UN resolutions. How did he manage that and who are the men who have helped Kim Jong Un keep his dreams of reaching nuclear power status alive?

    

North Korea has not reined in its nuclear program, despite a number of UN resolutions that have tried to force it to do so. So how has the isolated country kept the program going despite sanctions? Every year Pyongyang sends millions of North Korean workers abroad, selling their services to over 40 countries around the world. And their salaries flow directly into Kim’s treasury. The only ones who know exactly how the system works are the men who have helped the North Korean government carry through the program for years. A film team spent years researching these men and their secrets - from bankers and diplomats to the laborers and specialists who worked abroad and whose wages flowed into the regime's coffers. Come and meet all the dictator’s men.