The future of raiding lessons in raiding tactics from the Indian wars and law enforcement

Abstract

The War on Terror is a fight between states and non-state actors. In this struggle, raiding has emerged as an important tactic used to deny enemy safe haven, to kill and capture known terrorists, and to gain vital intelligence to relentlessly pursue terrorists worldwide. Conducting raids is one method that coalition partners must utilize in order to defeat terrorist networks. This thesis specifically explores: how, when, and where raids prove strategically useful; how different forces conduct raids; and which techniques achieve strategic gains via raids. To pre-empt, prevent, and disrupt terrorist organizations from successfully waging their brand of warfare, it is likely that the United States and Coalition partners must continue to pursue raiding operations under certain situations and utilizing modern techniques. This thesis argues, through the study of the Indian Wars from 1800-1890, and law enforcement raiding techniques used against gangs in the United States, that utilizing the appropriate raiding technique at the correct time and place under the appropriate circumstances can significantly disrupt or destroy networked terrorist organizations.