Posted on 07/20/2005 8:30:42 AM PDT by GunnyBob
I have been a student of war since 1968 and became a Marine in the 1970s as a teenager. In part because of my unusual, enhanced career path as a Marine infantry unit leader with extensive special operations and counterterrorism experience, and because of my access to some of the foremost asymmetric warfare and terrorism experts alive today, I have been able to formulate an 10-point plan that, if strictly adhered to, will allow the United States and its allies to win the war on terror sooner than expected.
Points 1 through 9 are mandatory in that failure to accomplish any one of them will likely result in primary objective denial.
Point 10 is desirable but optional in that accomplishing it would help facilitate achieving Points 1 through 9.
* * *
POINT 1
The Border, Port and Coastal Security Act
The Border, Port and Coastal Security Act is required to mandate at the federal level sufficient defensive assets to thwart the vast majority of possible planned acts of terrorism or terrorist-act support efforts.
POINT 2
The Immigration and Visa Reform Act
The Immigration and Visa Reform Act is required to dramatically reduce opportunities for terrorists to exploit our current immigration and visa policies that allow terrorists and those who secretly support terrorists to legally enter the United States on a visa or become resident aliens or naturalized citizens.
POINT 3
Terrorist-Haven Nation Accountability and Interdiction Policy
It must become the policy of the United States to aggressively and continually hold nations knowingly and willingly providing terrorists with a safe haven, fully accountable for their actions via military, economic and diplomatic sanctions. Furthermore, the United States military must be used to interdict, regardless of their location, all terrorist groups and organizations and persons who support such groups.
POINT 4
Domestic Muslim Organizations Assessment Policy
With assistance from other U.S. law-enforcement, homeland security and intelligence agencies, the Federal Bureau of Investigation must use all its assets to conduct effective counterterrorism operations against Muslim organizations in the United States suspected of terrorist activities of any kind, to include moral support and encouragement of terrorists. Under-cover infiltration and electronic intelligence gathering, as well as other forms of covert surveillance and monitoring, must be employed.
POINT 5
War-On-Terror Operational Capabilities Expansion
The U.S. military must substantially expand its ability to conduct counterterrorism operations in the realm of global asymmetric warfare. This should be accomplished by adding, at a minimum, one expeditionary brigade to the Marine Corps and fully activating the 4th Marine Division, and adding two brigades to the Army. Additionally, a major increase in special operations forces (Army Special Forces or “Green Berets,” Army Rangers, Navy SEALs and Marine Corps Force Recon units) and a major increase in the operational capabilities of the CIA’s Special Activities Division, must be aggressively undertaken.
POINT 6
Terrorist Head-of-State Termination Program
The President of the United States, with or without the support of the Congress, must immediately authorize and direct by any and all means necessary short of nuclear weapons employment, the removal from power of any head-of-state found to be supporting acts of terror against the United States and its allies. This policy must include selective target acquisition and termination.
POINT 7
Government Employee Accountability Act
The Government Employee Accountability Act must be enacted to expeditiously dismiss from government employment any and all employees, regardless of position and pay grade, for substandard performance. Any employee determined to be derelict, negligent or incompetent in their duties will have their employment immediately and an investigation will ensue to determine how that former employee came to be in that position. Any government employee found to be negligent in the hiring of a substandard employee will also be dismissed or reduced in grade.
POINT 8
Journalist and Media Accountability Policy
Any person within the U.S. media suspected of being in possession of classified government material will be immediately and fully investigated along with their parent media company. Media representatives, supervisors and their parent companies found to be in possession of said material will be arrested and charged under the U.S. Code.
POINT 9
Critical Target Vulnerability Assessment Program
A program of vulnerability assessments on the nation’s critical targets must be instituted. High-value, high-risk targets likely or known to be of interest to terrorists must be evaluated for their vulnerability and corrective defensive action taken, with special attention being paid to targets that would, if successfully attacked, cause substantial loss of life and/or economic damage on a national level.
POINT 10
Sea-Based Prisoners of War Program
All prisoners of war held by the United States should be held totally incommunicado and with no third-party access whatsoever in prison ships always in international waters. This program would dramatically reduce intelligence leaks, aid the interrogation process and reduce the “distraction” level produced by third-party interference.
POINT 7
Government Employee Accountability Act
The Government Employee Accountability Act must be enacted to expeditiously dismiss from government employment any and all employees, regardless of position and pay grade, for substandard performance. Any employee determined to be derelict, negligent or incompetent in their duties will have their employment immediately and an investigation will ensue to determine how that former employee came to be in that position. Any government employee found to be negligent in the hiring of a substandard employee will also be dismissed or reduced in grade.
I want to win the lottery too. We can keep dreaming.
None of today's politicians have the stones to do the things we should do or be tough enough to stand up to the whiny liberals who would complain about prisoners/illegals/terrorists etc (you name it) rights.
Instead of an amnesty program, empower local police to hold illegals and send them home to wherever they came from. Close the borders and we will all be safer.
I agree with most of your points. I'm thinking a Declaration of War would accomplish many of your objectives.
POINT 10
Sea-Based Prisoners of War Program
All prisoners of war held by the United States should be held totally incommunicado and with no third-party access whatsoever in prison ships always in international waters. This program would dramatically reduce intelligence leaks, aid the interrogation process and reduce the “distraction” level produced by third-party interference.
I would ammend this so that legitimate prisoners of war (not to be confused with terrorists or insurgents) are treated IAW the conventions. We gain nothing by treating "soldiers" in a manner not consistant with the conventions.
Also, you need to include the leaker(s) of classified material in the "Journalist and Media Accountability Policy"
Otherwise, excellant plan.
Terrorists are precisely the POWs I was refering to.
I was listening to Aerosmith's "Dream On" as I wrote that Point.
Bump for later read.
Excellent. You'd get my vote if you ever run for office!
Thanks, but I suspect the very last person you want in the Oval Office is me. People tell me all the time to run for president or senator, but I fear my distaste for making dirty deals and my inability to tolerate incompetence would cause the American people great distress, or perhaps great joy.
"Sea-Based Prisoners of War Program"
I have two problems with that:
(1) That would be *really* crappy duty. People would be begging for combat billets. And knowing the Navy, they wouldn't assign enough watch-standers to the ships, so you'd spend all your time in port and starboard.
(2) We ought to be getting all the information those POWs have from them quickly.
Just make sure this is clearly defined and can never be applied to political prisoners. Republicans won't hold the White House forever, and it's no stretch to see organizations affiliated with abortion protestors (to pick one example) designated "terrorist sympathizers."
But, but, who would run things? Dismiss every incompetent employee and the supervisor who hired him and you would have a true skeleton crew.
Mind you, I don't disagree.
Would you apply this to the military also, Gunny? I'm sure it's better now, but in my time (I retired in '81) there were more incompetents - both officer and enlisted - than most would believe possible.
I know that and you know that, but - refering to them as POW's "implies" that they are "soldiers" (this is what the Libs have been trying since the war began) - clearly defining them as terrorsist with NO protections would be much better . . .
We are at war and they are prisoners, hence prisoners of war. I will not bend to the desire to play word games.
It's not a word game. We are fighting a declared "War On (some) Drugs" and are using military hardware and military forces in it. But the people captured aren't "prisoners of war" they are considered merely criminals. So too with terrorists, except that criminals have rights that terrorists can't claim, e.g. right to a jury trial.
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