America’s Flawed Approach to the Global War on Terror
Terrorism or Insurgency:
America’s Flawed Approach to the Global
War on Terror
by Jon C. Couch
the full article
America is not fighting a global war on terror; rather, it is engaged in a global
insurgency whose participants are intent on destroying western culture and replacing
it with an Islamic Caliph — or Islamic government. For centuries, insurgencies
and other forms of strife have plagued the global community. Likewise, terrorists
claimed center stage for high profile acts attributed to this asymmetric type of
warfare; most notably the bombings on September 11, 2001, as well as earlier attacks
on US embassies in Africa. The problem is that the United States has incorrectly
coined the current conflict the global war on terror when the term global
insurgency more closely describes the conflict. The present global environment,
complete with the technologies available (to the United States and its enemies)
and the strategic decisions made by the United States of how to counter these threats
will shape America’s future, positively or negatively. If the correct threat
is realized and that threat’s correct center of gravity chosen for attack, as well
as a correct long term strategies and policies chosen and applied, America could
very well succeed in this conflict. If, on the other hand, the incorrect threat
and center of gravity are pursued resulting in the wrong strategy being chosen;
America will fare poorly in the current conflict, and may very well lose the conflict.
the full article
Jon Couch enlisted in the USMC in 1979. Mr. Couch originally trained to be
an amphibious Reconnaissance Marine and then in 1982 changed his job specialty to
Intelligence Analyst and later Special Forces Survival Instructor. Mr. Couch went
on to serve in aviation and logistical units before being medically retired at twenty
years active service. After retiring, Mr. Couch worked as a contractor at the Marine
Corps' MAGTF Staff Training Program. Since 2003, he has been working at the Joint
Personnel Recovery Agency as a Personnel Recovery Instructor, Observer-Trainer,
Supervisory Intelligence Analyst, and Course Manager for the Intelligence Support
to Personnel Recovery Course.
