Military Operations Against Terrorist Groups Abroad: Implications for the United States Air Force

The imperative to monitor, suppress, attack, and ultimately eradicate international terrorist groups seeking to strike the United States, its citizens, its interests, and its allies is prompting significant changes in the demands placed on the armed forces of the United States. U.S. forces will often be called upon to assist foreign governments that wish to eradicate terrorist groups on their territory but lack the capabilities to do so on their own. In such cases, U.S. forces can strengthen the capabilities and will of host-government forces by providing training and equipment, disrupt terrorist activities, find and capture or kill terrorists, help to alienate terrorists from the populace, gather intelligence about terrorist networks and activities around the world, and protect friendly forces and bases. In effective counterterrorist activitiesThe imperative to monitor, suppress, attack, and ultimately eradicate international terrorist groups seeking to strike the United States, its citizens, its interests, and its allies is prompting significant changes in the demands placed on the armed forces of the United States. U.S. forces will often be called upon to assist foreign governments that wish to eradicate terrorist groups on their territory but lack the capabilities to do so on their own. In such cases, U.S. forces can strengthen the capabilities and will of host-government forces by providing training and equipment, disrupt terrorist activities, find and capture or kill terrorists, help to alienate terrorists from the populace, gather intelligence about terrorist networks and activities around the world, and protect friendly forces and bases. In effective counterterrorist activitie