FoG:ISCivil-Military Relations in the Information Age

Ralf Bendrath, Berlin

FoG:ISForschungsgruppe Research GroupInformationsgesellschaft und Information Society and Sicherheitspolitik Security Policy

International School on Disarmament and Research on ConflictsISODARCOTrento/Italy, August 2002

FoG:IS Overview

What are civil-military relations? Are they in a crisis? Are they changing? Some theory (only some!) Examples

C4ISR / “system of systems” critical infrastructure protection information warfare

Conclusion

FoG:IS Civil-Military Relations (CMR)

Traditionally understood as: relations between military commanders and

the civilian government clear distinction btw. civil and military

spheres, roles, duties etc. professional identity of the soldier as the

exclusive “manager of organized violence” (S. Huntington: The Soldier and the State)

“Politicians decide about war, Soldiers wage war”

aim: civilian control of the military

FoG:IS CMR in a Crisis? Not really! 1990s: “Crisis of CMR” all over

but: just some generals too much interested in politics and some president not too much interested in war

simple solutions: fire the CJCS, elect a new president, throw money at it, ...

FoG:IS“We give special thanks to Mr. Bush and all the allies: the British, the French, the Egyptians, CNN.”

A Man from Kuwait, 1991

FoG:IS CMR in a Crisis? Well...

maybe not that simple?

political impact of military action in times of worldwide media

FoG:IS

FoG:IS “If you spend all day on a computer typing, that warrior ethos goes away, and pretty soon you´re just a diary clerk or a supply guy.”

Master Gunnery Sgt. Cardo Urso, chief instructor at the Marine Corps´ Martial Arts Training Program

FoG:IS “Our future leaders of command must understand the interrelationships among military power, diplomacy, and economic pressure, as well as the role of various government agencies and non-governmental actors, in achieving our security objectives.”

Joint Chiefs of Staff: Joint Vision 2010, Washington D.C. 1996

FoG:IS“IO greatly expands the commander’s battlespace, including interaction with the media, industry, joint forces, multinational forces and computer / satellite networks worldwide.”

Arneson/Starry, FM 100-6: Information Operations, in: Military Review, 1996

FoG:IS

“We are not in the business of killing.”

General Norman Schwarzkopf

FoG:IS CMR in a Crisis? Well...

post-heroic / no direct combat / tooth-to-tail military profession & exclusivity C4ISR / micro-management intelligence information warfare national security and defense / CIP

Information age: systemic crisis of CMR?

FoG:ISTheory I: Crisis

Crisis of man (identity / the subject) the state (networked state) war (postmodern, info, cyber, high-

tech, hyperreal, ...) Crisis of modernity?

”The most significant fact about civil-military relations is the modernity of the concept” (Amos Perlmutter, Political Roles and Military Rulers, London 1981)

FoG:ISTheory II: The system of CMR

Crisis as a property of the system

individual military profession role / identity / exclusivity

social agents: state, military - and others?

systemic norms: civilian control of the military -

what else?

FoG:IS Change - What Change?

change within the military

change within the system of CMR

change of the system of CMR

FoG:IS Examples

C4ISR / “system of systems” for conventional war

critical infrastructure protection

information warfare

FoG:IS C4ISR / “System of Systems”

Network of everything from individual soldier to White House political micro-management the end of mission tactics

• less command, more control Air Force without pilots? FOFI for the single soldier

Real-time computer-aided warfare formal models of professional war

FoG:IS C4ISR / “System of Systems” Computer-mediated perception

reducing complexity dissemination, need-to-know simulation & over-specialization C4KISR: control by machines? Integration of intelligence systems open source intelligence tactical info for political bargains intelligence units closer to fighters Predator: CIA-operators as soldiers?

FoG:IS C4ISR / “System of Systems” Civil providers

IT-contractors on the battlefield NMCI example post-heroic military profession?

CIMIC info-sharing with INGOs & NGOs

FoG:ISCritical Infrastructure Protection

New enemies and threats Teenagers? Hacktivists? Criminals? Terrorists? States?

Attack from at home or abroad?

FoG:ISCritical Infrastructure Protection

Who is in charge? Military? Law enforcement agencies? Intelligence? Owners of the infrastructures?

What´s it in the end? IT security IT forensics coordination

FoG:ISCritical Infrastructure Protection

protect your own network! info-sharing between LEA, Intelligence,

private companies, IT-Sec community new complexity what is security?

national security? economic security? IT-security?

„national security“ obsolete for transnational networks?

FoG:IS Information Warfare

distinctions become blurry: Targets: military / civilian?

FoG:IS

Joint Chiefs of Staff: JP 3-13, Joint Doctrine for Information Operations, Washington D.C., October 1998, p. I-17

FoG:IS Information Warfare

distinctions become blurry: Targets: military / civilian? Time: war - peace?

FoG:IS

Joint Chiefs of Staff: JP 3-13, Joint Doctrine for Information Operations, Washington D.C., October 1998, p. II-8

FoG:IS Information Warfare

Targets: military / civilian? Time: war - peace? Space: battlespace / info-environment /

cyberspace? Operational: IO central, not only support Identity: hackers, journalists, ...?

FoG:ISInfo-Ops = Counterinsurgency?

“Low-intensity conflict is basically a struggle for people´s minds. (...) In such a battle, psychological operations are more important than fire power (...) Insurgencies, therefore, are primarily political and psychological struggles; military considerations are secondary.”

U.S. Army TRADOC: Joint Low-Intensity Conflict Project Final Report, Vol. 1: Analytical Review of Low-Intensity Conflict, 1986

FoG:IS Information Warfare

Soft Power / Noopolitik Who targets information?

State Department? White House? Pentagon PA? Pentagon Info-Ops? VoA? CNN? MTV?

parlamentary & public control?

FoG:IS Change of CMR?

Change within the military end of mission tactics de- / re-centralization new tasks

• info-ops• CIP

more tail than tooth post-heroic soldiers

change already halfway done

FoG:IS Change of CMR?

Change within the system of CMR political fine-tuning of operations but: some are like covert operations parlamentary oversight? politically / culturally educated soldiers End of the “American Way of War” intelligence closer to shooters

still in the process of change

FoG:IS Change of CMR?

Change of the system of CMR CIP: domestic / international security? info-ops: non-physical violence Soft Power the end of war as we know it cf. Foucault on domestic violence

much resistance against change

FoG:IS

It could be just junk mail, Colonel, or the beginning of a major enemy attack...

FoG:IS Thanks for listening !

Dipl. Pol. Ralf Bendrath

mailto: ralf.bendrath@fogis.de

http://www.fogis.de

http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~bendrath

http:// archive.infopeace.de