The good, the bad, and the ugly: selecting and vetting indigenous leaders

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Authors
Reed, Donald K.
Upperman, Matthew P.
Subjects
Non-lethal targeting
human domain
irregular warfare
unconventional warfare
special warfare
indigenous leader selection
indigenous leader vetting
influence
social movement theory
special operations
Hamid Karzai
Ramon Magsaysay
Ahmed Chalabi
Advisors
Simons, Anna
Date of Issue
2013-12
Date
Dec-13
Publisher
Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
Determining who is the right indigenous leader for U.S. forces to work with in a complex environment during irregular and unconventional warfare is a complicated endeavor, affected by countless factors. Selecting, vetting, and influencing indigenous leaders in foreign countries has been a key task of U.S. Special Operations Forces since its inception, but to date Special Operations Forces often struggles with mastering this, as evidenced by recent experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. The primary aim of this thesis is to improve this capability. To assist with the future selection and vetting of indigenous leaders, this thesis introduces a leader selection heuristic. It is the authors contention is that to find the right individual requires correctly identifying particular attributes, features, and behaviors in both the individual and the environment.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Defense Analysis (DA)
Organization
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NPS Report Number
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Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.
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