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American National Security Strategy As It Pertains to the Afghanistan War Robert Hayworth Walden University

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American National Security Strategy As It Pertains to the Afghanistan War Robert Hayworth Walden University Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2018 American National Security Strategy as it Pertains to the Afghanistan War Robert Hayworth Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Public Policy Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Robert Hayworth has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. David Kilmnick, Committee Chairperson, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Dr. Tamara Mouras, Committee Member, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Dr. Kathleen Schulin, University Reviewer, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2018 Abstract American National Security Strategy as it Pertains to the Afghanistan War by Robert Hayworth MPA, Troy University, 1998 BA, Troy University, 1997 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy and Administration Walden University February 2018 Abstract Following 16 years of war in Afghanistan the number of U.S. military, Coalition forces and Afghan civilian fatalities has exceeded the number of Americans lost on 9/11 and has cost the United States nearly $841 billion dollars. The results are that Afghanistan remains in turmoil and that terrorist attacks, the reason for the invasion, continues. The question is should United States assess a different approach that would result in less blood and treasure being spent to address the need to mitigate terrorist threats. Guided by the analysis of conventional- centric and asymmetric-centric approaches to a counterterrorism strategy, this qualitative study focused on evaluating the effects of U.S. national strategy for the Afghanistan war between 2001 and 2016. A narrative inquiry was employed that used extensive in-depth interviews with five implementers and five recipients of the American strategy based in Afghanistan. The participants were recruited from the U.S. Special Forces community that implemented American strategy in Afghanistan, and from Afghans that experienced the American strategy firsthand. Data were analyzed by employing an inductive coding method. The literature review revealed an intention to use large military forces to conduct a conventional-centric counterterrorism strategy, but the narrative inquiry revealed a negative effect of the conventional-centric counterterrorism strategy. Though more research in this area is needed the implications from the findings for positive social change that an asymmetric- centric strategy could offer as a possible effective solution for countering terrorism. These recommendations may help national strategy developers develop a structure to develop future counterterrorism strategies. American National Security Strategy as it Pertains to the Afghanistan War by Robert Hayworth MPA, Troy University, 1998 BA, Troy University, 1997 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy and Administration Walden University February 2018 Dedication This work as well as many things in my life is due to my wife, Kim, whose support and continued belief in me is the reason for my success. My motivation to complete this project stems from my fellow brothers, the 241 Marines and sailors that made the ultimate sacrifice on one October day in 1983. I want to give special thanks to the people that teach me every day the meaning of being a Marine and serving my country: Donald Ciefili, Tom Gersbeck, and Larry Lewis. I would also like to mention my deep appreciation to my committee chair, Dr. David Kilmnick, whose patience and guidance allowed me to focus and improve my aspiration to reach this scholarly level, and to my committee members, Dr. Tamara Mouras and Dr. Kathleen Marie Schulin, whose expertise and guidance is the reason I aspire to complete my studies. Acknowledgments As a young man, my first introduction to the new type of war that the nation is to face came to me early on a Sunday morning in October of 1983, when a truck loaded with homemade explosives drove through the south parking area of the Beirut International Airport. It broke through a three-foot block wall to pick up speed and slammed into the lobby of the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit’s Battalion Landing Team’s headquarters building. Seconds later, the driver detonated a bomb that killed 241 of my fellow Marines and sailors, in what was arguably the beginning of the “War on Terror” (Hammes, 2005). Thirty years later, I still work in the counterterrorism profession and recognize the need for a strategic concept, not just in defeating terrorism as a threat, but also in defeating the adversaries that employ asymmetric warfare. In this, I dedicate this work to our professionals, the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines as well as the government and contracted civilians that have taken on the challenge to not only defeat the terrorists, but also bring peace to our world. Table of Contents List of Tables ....................................................................................................................... v List of Figures ..................................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ................................................................................... 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 Problem Statement ............................................................................................................... 3 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................................ 5 Research Question ............................................................................................................... 9 Theoretical Foundation .................................................................................................. 11 Nature of the Study ........................................................................................................ 14 Definitions of Terms ...................................................................................................... 15 Assumptions .................................................................................................................. 19 Scope and Delimitations ................................................................................................ 20 Limitations ..................................................................................................................... 21 Significance ................................................................................................................... 23 Summary ........................................................................................................................ 24 Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................................ 27 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 27 Literature Search Strategy ............................................................................................. 27 Theoretical Foundation .................................................................................................. 30 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................. 35 Previous Approaches to the Challenges of Asymmetric Warfare ................................. 35 i Challenges of Asymmetric Warfare and National Security Strategy ............................ 37 The Gap in the Literature ............................................................................................... 38 Roots of the Afghanistan Strategy ................................................................................. 39 Defining Asymmetric War ............................................................................................ 43 Defining a Strategy for Afghanistan .............................................................................. 44 Understanding Afghanistan and Terrorist Organizations ............................................. 46 Afghanistan Tribal System ........................................................................................... 47 Terrorist Organizations in Afghanistan ........................................................................ 48 The Taliban as a Shadow Government ....................................................................... 50 Adversaries and Populations ......................................................................................... 51 Characteristics of Criminals, Terrorist, and Insurgents ................................................. 53 Characteristics of
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