Counter-Deception, The Commander's Responsibility

摘要

Deception is an integral part of war. Sun Tzu advocated it in his time as a meansto gain an advantage, and the same holds true today. But, deception is not infallible or inevitable, its effects can be countered by the operational commander. This paper explores a general theory of logic for the operational commander to counter deception. Before a commander can counter deception, he must understand the theories, principles and techniques used by the enemy. First the theory of deception will be studied, based on the premise that deception is misperception. The structure of deception, the hiding of the real, and the showing the false will be examined. Then the operational principles and techniques that are used to build a successful stratagem will be explored. Armed with this knowledge, the commander is then able to identify the weakness and vulnerabilities of any deception operation. Using this baseline and answering four fundamental questions he can build a thought process to analyze his intelligence, and arrive at a logical conclusion of enemy capabilities or course of action. With a thorough understanding of deception, why, how, and to what end the enemy will use it, and through some anti-deception efforts of his own, the operational commander can counter the effects of deception.