U.S. forces turning to ‘indirect’ war tactics

Benefiting form a 'better understanding'
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the command has received more money, more people and more authority to go after terrorist networks.

In 2001, the command had an annual budget of $2.3 billion and roughly 46,000 military and civilian personnel. The command now has a budget of about $7 billion. By 2012, nearly 59,000 people will be attached to the command. Its headquarters is at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla.

Two years ago, President Bush put the command in charge of "synchronizing" the global fight against terrorism. This new role has been a source of friction within the Defense Department.

More than half a dozen top special operations slots are changing hands over the next few months. These moves are driven by the regular rotation of officers as well as "a better understanding of the complexities of the type of 'war' we are involved in today," according to Pete Gustaitis, a senior lecturer at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.

Beyond Olson, Gustaitis pointed to the upcoming promotions of Army Maj. Gen. David Fridovich and Air Force Maj. Gen. Donald Wurster as bellwethers.

"Both officers have been very vocal about using indirect methods," said Gustaitis, a retired Green Beret colonel.

Shake-up in Special Ops
Fridovich will run the Center for Special Operations, a 4-year-old organization located at MacDill that plans and oversees anti-terrorism campaigns. He will replace Lt. Gen. Dell Dailey, who has retired and been nominated by Bush to be the State Department's coordinator for counterterrorism.

Fridovich has spent the past six years in the Pacific region helping guide what the military considers a successful effort against Abu Sayyaf, an al-Qaida outgrowth in the Philippines.

In a recent edition of the military journal Joint Force Quarterly, Fridovich wrote that the U.S. "cannot simply enter sovereign countries unilaterally and conduct kill-or-capture missions. It must blend host nation capacity building and other long-term efforts to address root causes, dissuade future terrorists, and reduce recruiting."

This indirect approach, Fridovich added, "demands diplomacy and respect for political sensitivities."

‘Winning hearts and minds’
Money helps, too.

Earlier this month, the U.S. paid $10 million to four Filipinos who provided information that led to the killing of two top Abu Sayyaf leaders.

Wurster, a combat pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours, will run Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The current commander, Lt. Gen. Michael Wooley, is retiring.

Along with Fridovich, Wurster has substantial experience in the Philippines. From 2000 to 2003 he was the senior special operations officer at U.S. Pacific Command.

In a telephone interview, Wurster called the rewards a "pretty effective tool" that send an important signal. When people in a community are willing to turn in the enemy for cash, it means they are confident the white hats outnumber the black ones.

"That is when your campaign is properly structured and producing the desired effects," he said.

Rep. Smith, an enthusiastic backer of Brown and Olson, said it will be a major challenge to translate success in the Pacific to the volatile Middle East.

"Winning hearts and minds is one thing when you're coming into a relatively stable place where there's a minor insurgent problem," he said. "It's very hard to do those things in the environment that exists in Iraq."

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