A general view on the hierarchy of war
Picking up from my last entry. Let us review the following areas:
The general functions of the armed forces:
- To continually assess the politico-military environment and the real, potential, or predicted threats against the state
What are these threats? Environmental? Factions within the country? Rogue dissidents that come for pay back?
Let us reason on real threats and perceived threats by using (interests and means)
The nation and its commander must gather accurate data to assess threats and then based on the threats they must have the means to implement a plan to disrupt and neutralize the threats.
This can be currently seen with Islamic militant groups in the Sahara. They have the interests, which is religious and the means to incite and cause disorder within a geographic area.
Armed forces must address this to able to accurately fight them.
The remainder of the areas are straight forward and logical.
- To deter hostile forces that aspire to collapse and replace the government or seize areas that may provide economic or political advantages
- To contain hostile forces that have commenced offensives against the government
- To neutralize hostile forces that pose a direct armed threat to the state and the government
- To degrade the command and control structures of hostile forces
- To exhaust hostile forces
- To annihilate hostile force
Which brings us to a hierarchy of war.
Hierarchy of war
This is defined as a specific hierarchy of decision making that takes place before troops are committed to a mission.
- National Strategy
- National Security Strategy
- National Military strategy
- Campaign Strategy
- Operational Designs
- Operating Environment
In order for the military to be effective the nation must have an established a National Strategy about how it wants to position itself over the short, medium and long term. It must define the role that the government intends the state to play domestically, regionally and internationally.
The National security Strategy supports the National Strategy, which allows the formation of a National Security Strategy.
As you can see one build upon the other until all areas are defined.
One can start to see contributing factors as to why many of our Farafinna nations have issues with maintaining internal peace.
One of those reasons is that the current nations were not set up in a way to fulfill 100% nationhood from those that seek its demise, thus, what you end of up having is an armed force that serves external interests in a way that protects the economic viability of resources being taken out the country to its external enemies.
Currently, we can see a massive change in nations such as Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and CAF. They all have to define a national strategy that suits their needs and then follow through with a national security strategy which what one is seeing today with an military alliance between them to seek out those that disrupt and bring disorder on account of external interests.
If any of these groups were truly defenders of Islamic people, faith or lifestyle there would have been pilgrimage to help their compatriots in Palestine.
Just like the 90s warlords gave their groups grandiose panafricanist names& terms but didn’t even even attempt to live by any such convictions. They’re parachuted into the Sahel by Amerikkkan and French puppeteers.
I’m not sure how important it is to your write-ups posts that we truly understand their allegiances.if its your position they should be dealt with on basis as destabilising forces on their own merits and that contraditions between stated motivations and where their funding really comes from then I hear you.
my write up addresses how and when military troops are used internally and externally. The process that goes behind committing troops in one area as opposed to another area. Items that must be considered before committing them and the current nature of warfare itself along with identifying an enemy. I am using current example to make this clear.
This is to aide people in understanding the complicated process of committing troops, ensuring a supply line and defining attainable goals within a given parameter.
I cannot state how muchi disagree with the statement:”
This can be currently seen with Islamic militant groups in the Sahara. They have the interests, which is religious and the means to incite and cause disorder within a geographic area.”
Yes the objective is inciting disorder but the interests aren’t religious. Nowhere in Mali, Burkina Faso or Niger is Islam under attack in anyway to justify. They are all European and US sponsored agents like Kony and Charles Taylor further south in the past.
Here is a list of active groups in the Sahara along with two data sheets, which is recent intel
@Gbontwi_Sabla_Process
1. Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM)
– An Al-Qaeda affiliated group operating primarily in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger
– Formed in 2017 through a merger of several jihadist groups
– One of the most active militant groups in the Sahel region
2. Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS)
– Also known as ISIS-GS or Daesh in the Greater Sahara
– Operates in the Mali-Niger-Burkina Faso tri-border area
– Pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2015
3. Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)
– A splinter group of Boko Haram that pledged allegiance to ISIS
– Active primarily in the Lake Chad Basin region, including parts of Niger
4. Ansaroul Islam
– A JNIM-affiliated group active in Burkina Faso
5. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)
– While not explicitly mentioned in recent activities, AQIM has historically been active in the region and is likely still a presence
https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2021%20Factsheet%20-%20Sahel.pdf
https://africacenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/MIG-highlights-2023.pdf
Hello Malami, this is really helpful information. I am looking into taking a self defense class for women and also hiring someone to teach me how to use weapons. Any suggestions? Where is your martial arts school located?
I ni ce
get at me through DM.