The Analysis of the CIA Paramilitary Operations - Research Paper Example

Use of Military Special Forces in CIA Paramilitary Operations Contents Contents 2 Introduction 3 Thesis 3 Shadow wars 3 Contract personnel 4 Unconventional battlefields 5 Change of approach 7 Conclusion 8 References 9 Introduction The United States department of defense defines special operations as security initiatives carried out in susceptible environments, which are often denied and hostel. The aim of operations is to receive diplomatic and economic objectives while employing military capabilities. Under the special operation, there is no use of conventional force equipment. The department of defense describes paramilitary security personnel as units that are different from normal military officers although similar to them in terms of composition, preparation and equipment. Thesis Special Forces have been occupied in stealthy paramilitary activities frequently and consistently. Some of these military activities are in public knowledge while others remain classified. There is speculation that covert paramilitary operations will end up being the responsibility of unacknowledged distinct operation units within the USSOCOM. Shadow wars One of the fundamental concerns by the American people is the dichotomy of operations by the central intelligence agency and the military. This is fueled by the fact that military personnel can get involved in central intelligence agency operations1. At the same time, the central intelligence personnel can serve in the military. There is similarity in training and military operations means that it is never clear whether the central intelligence agency activities are alienated from the military activities. The nature of secrecy in the CIA operations means the Special Forces in the United States of America military can hold joint operations with CIA. The role of Special Forces in paramilitary activities is unknown to the public. Therefore, it becomes hard to tell whether a given activity is being conducted by the central intelligence agency or the particular forces of United States. For instance, paramilitary operations in Yemen require presidential authorization. Besides, the intelligence committees have to be notified. There is a growing concern on whether the same requirement applies to secret military operations. In case of a joint operation of the central intelligence agency operations paramilitary officers and Special Forces, it is not clear on whose authorizes. There is a need to known to what extent Special Forces can get involved in paramilitary activities and operations. Contract personnel There is a perception that the personnel involved in United States covert operations are contractors. This poses a significant threat to the security of United States due to access of classified information2. According to Brennan, the counterterrorism adviser of the current United States regime, the federal government favors using the scalpel rather than hammer in the war on terrorism. According to Brennan, the war against Al Qaeda should be multigenerational and is not confined to conventional battlefield. This explains why the United States has a special interest in the use of Special Forces and the need to have a fully competent central intelligence agency. This has fueled the shadow wars with the United States using invisible frontiers in the war against terrorism. There is a fear that the contract and paramilitary officers run the risk of breaching the Geneva Convention rules which can deny them protection in the event of capture. Unconventional battlefields In September 2011, the United States chief advice of counterterrorism war stated the federal government’s security approach is not confined strictly to the open battlefields. He went on to state that the USA has the authority to take action against the international terror groups without conducting and self defense analysis routinely. However, in the statement, it was clear that the international rules apply with regard to respect for sovereignty. This meant that the United States of America cannot act unilaterally and use the military force whenever it wants3. Several weeks before that statement, the special forces of United States of America killed Osama Bin Laden in an operation staged in Pakistan4. This was preceded by a central intelligence drone attack that killed Anwar Al-Awlaki in Yemen. A deep look into the happening reflects the government of the United States commitment to fight terrorism by empowering the central intelligence agency. This empowerment seems to be enhanced by close collaboration of the United States Special Forces with the CIA paramilitary personnel. This has set the stage for shadow battle fields. A good example is the recently foiled attempt to assassinate the ambassador of Saudi Arabia in the United States soil. This revealed that the Iranians are determined to apply shadow war tactics and are aware on who is targeting them. The United States and Israel have been accused of slowing the Iranian nuclear initiative through the use of the stunex worm. News reports are unable to identify which forces fighting for the USA are CIA paramilitary personnel and which are military Special Forces. The news reports are unable to tell which of the security personnel contractors of the United States of America are. There have been no public information on the paramilitary and Special Forces operations even in the countries where they allegedly took place. In an interview with cable news network, one of the officers involved in the operation that killed Osama Bin Laden, and a member of the SEALs, said even the president does not know who among them killed the Al Qaeda chief. The officer insisted that they explained to the president that they were not going to reveal insisting that the most critical point is that they succeeded in their mission. The nature of central intelligence agency and the United States Special Forces is a well guarded secret. Preliminary reports of the raid to kill Osama indicated that it was a combination of both intelligence and military operations. In a way, a strong central intelligence agency without specialized military operations cannot deliver5. However, the complications come in terms of international rules and procedures of war. After the 9/11 attack, the United States launched several conventional military operations which proved to be ineffective. This is largely because most of the terror groups do not believe in conventional warfare. This triggered the move by the United States to use paramilitary operations by the contractors and central intelligence agency. The capability of the United States to collect intelligence information was vastly expanded. The federal government was also keen of carrying out clandestine operations that required specialized training. According to The New York Times, the Bush administration launched the campaign, but the Obama administration has been aggressive and is conducting fierce shadow war against the Al Qaeda and the terror groups. The current regime in the United States of America is using robotic drones and teams of commandos. The regime is contracting spies and paying them. In addition, the current regime is training the local operatives to hunt down terrorists. This makes it hard to identify the role of Special Forces in the paramilitary operations. The commando teams and the paramilitary personnel liaise in ways that are not open to the public. The United States has a special focus on North Africa, Pakistan and former soviet republics. The scale and dimension of cooperation between the central intelligence agency and United States historic military units has come into deep albeit blurred focus, even as details emerge. It is guessed that the central intelligence agency cannot be effective without high impact specialized military units. The unprecedented cooperation between the CIA paramilitary personnel and the military Special Forces has led to a campaign that targets the suspected terrorists with missile armed drones in the Middle East and North Africa. The cooperation between distinct military units and the paramilitary operatives has resulted in raids is various locations across the world6. According to Bob Woodward, the central intelligence agency has trained and 3000 man paramilitary force of Afghans on covert paramilitary operations in Pakistan. General David Petraeus signed an executive order in 2009 known as joint unconventional warfare taskforce. The taskforce indicates the United States strategy to expand the shadow war outside the Afghan battlefield. Change of approach The reality is demands that policy analysts to stop viewing the cooperation between the outstanding military units and paramilitary personnel with suspicion. The involvement of significant military units in paramilitary operations is part and parcel of the United States strategy on security7. However, the nature of these operations is likely to cause the federal government to maintain the secrecy that surrounds the involvement of the outstanding military units in paramilitary operations8. The executive order signed by David Petraeus did not require the president’s approval or any reports to the congress. However, the activities enjoy the executive support of the federal government. Conclusion In conclusion, the involvement of distinct operation forces in covert operations could pose legal difficulties. The peculiar operation forces are required to forfeit the Geneva Convention status when they become involved in covert operations. Convert operations can be contrary to Geneva Convention, which the United States military personnel, is expected to observe. Some of the rules expect the United States military personnel to have a uniform and identification card which gives combatant status in case they are captured. The use of Special Forces of the military in paramilitary operations is blurred to the public, but is viewed as the modern military strategy, to counter terrorism by the USA. References Central Intelligence Agency (2011). The CIA World Factbook 2012 (1st ed.). Sky horse Publishing Inc. CNN (2011, May 3). How U.S. forces killed Osama bin Laden. CNN international edition. Retrieved December 14, 2012, from http://http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD Collins, J. M. (1994). Special Operations Forces: An Assessment (1st ed.). DIANE Publishing. Mazzetti M (2010). U.S. Is Said To Have Expanded Use of Secret Actions, N.Y. TIMES, at A1. Stone, C. K. (2003). All Necessary Means—Employing CIA Operatives in a War fighting Role Alongside Special Operations Forces, U.S. Army War College Strategy Research Project, 1(1), 13-14. Read More