Why Attacking Terrorist Groups in Iraq Should be a Conflict-Termination Objective in the Coming War.

摘要

If U.S. intervention in Iraq is necessary, terrorist groups operating there should be among the decisive points attacked, along with Saddam's regime, the Iraqi military, weapons of mass destruction, SCUD missiles, and elements threatening the oil fields. Such groups as Ansar al-Islam, the Kurdish Workers Party, the Mujahedin-e-Khalq, and the Palestinian Liberation Front could otherwise serve as galvanizing elements for hostile groups opposing a U.S. presence or pro- Western regime. Taking on these terrorist groups before termination of hostilities could preserve freedom of action, shore up the fledgling Iraqi government, and potentially speed the redeployment of U.S. forces. Coalition forces should target the enemy's critical vulnerabilities by denying their hold on territory, freedom of movement, access to resources and recruits, the survivability of forces, and command, control, communication, computers, and intelligence (C4I). More than just joint or combined, these efforts would entail broad interagency coordination, with all tools of intelligence, diplomacy, law enforcement, economic policy and information - as well as military - are brought to bear.