Professional Documents
Culture Documents
GROUP # 3
Kunhui Cai,
Madan Chauhan,
Jim Jacaruso,
Manoj Pant,
Vinay Srivastava,
Yoji Tsubaki
Other definitions
– a) Defined by transformational use of familiar and
unfamiliar ‘capability clusters’ or by pitting of different
organizational structures against each other.
– b) Involves states of unequal aggregate power capabilities,
measured in terms of material resources i.e. size,
demography, military capability and economic prowess,
strategy and tactics. (T.V. Paul)
– c) Asymmetric warfare is “leveraging inferior tactical or
operational strength against the vulnerabilities of a
superior opponent to achieve disproportionate effect with
the aim of undermining the opponent’s will in order to
achieve the asymmetric actor’s strategic objectives.
(Kenneth McKenzie).
PPA 601 Spring 2007 Asymmetric Conflict
SOME THOUGHTS ?
Trends…
5. Time Pressure
PPA 601 Spring 2007 Asymmetric Conflict
SOME EXAMPLES
2. LEVERAGING TACTICS
3. TERRORISM
4. RELIGIOUS
5. DESIRE TO RISE
PPA 601 Spring 2007 Asymmetric Conflict
US - Iranian History
1883 - U.S and Persia appoint diplomatic envoys
1941 - Allied Powers force Shah to abdicate throne to
his more pro-allies son. Allied Forces use Iran as
staging base for re-supply of Russian forces in WWII.
1951 - Iranian Prime Minister Mossadegh tries to
nationalize oil industry and limit the power of Shah
1953 - American and British intelligence services
sponsor a coup that overthrows Mossadegh.
1963/64 - Shah’s White Revolution. Ayatollah
Khomeini exiled for denunciation of Shah’s status of
forces bill for US Military Personnel.
1965/72 - America provides significant military support
to Iran. Shah leverages Iran’s strategic position in US
containment policy.
PPA 601 Spring 2007 Asymmetric Conflict
US - Iranian History
1978 - Iranian Islamic Revolution Council is formed
1979 - Shah is forced into exile - later enters US for
cancer treatment - students seize US embassy and
diplomats beginning a 444 day hostage crises.
1980 - President Carter severs diplomatic ties with Iran
- expels Iranian diplomats from US
1980 - Iraq invades Iran leading to a 10 year war
during which the US openly supports Iraq.
1982 - American supported Lebanese Christian forces
kidnap Iranian diplomats - begins a nine year period of
kidnapping of western hostages.
1983 - Bombing of US embassy and US Marine
Barracks in Beirut - US places blame/suspicion for
both events on Iranian supported Hezbollah
PPA 601 Spring 2007 Asymmetric Conflict
US - Iranian History
1984 - Bombing of Embassy annex in Beirut - US says
Hezbollah known to have been involved
1985/86 - Iran-Contra scandal
1988 – USS Vincennes shoots down Iranian Airliner over
the gulf killing 290. Iran views this as evidence the US
was going to get involved in the Iran - Iraq war.
Two weeks later Khomeini accepts UN brokered cease-
fire with Iraq
1990 - Iran remains neutral in US led war against Iraq
denouncing both the US and Iraq
1993 - President Clinton takes office - institutes a policy
to isolate Iran
1995 - Clinton signs an executive order banning all trade
with Iran.
PPA 601 Spring 2007 Asymmetric Conflict
US - Iranian History
1996 - Khobar Tower bombing in Saudi Arabia - 19 US
service personnel killed - Hezbollah blamed.
Iran - Lybia Sanctions act passed.
1999 - US eases sanctions against state supporters of
terrorism
2000 - US officially acknowledges US role in 1953 coup
but does not apologize.
2001 - US releases 46 count indictment against
unidentified Iranians in the Khobar Towers case.
Iran condemns US air strikes in Afghanistan yet agrees
to perform search and rescue missions for US pilots
downed in Iran.
Iranian President denounces Osama Bin Laden and
rejects US assertions that Iran supports terrorism.
PPA 601 Spring 2007 Asymmetric Conflict
US & IRAN
Current Relationship
– 2001, President Bush unfreezes the Nuclear program
– 2002 - President Bush refers to Iran as part of an Axis of evil
and states they are pursuing WMD and Terrorist Activities
– Defense Secretary Rumsfeld links Iran to suicide attacks in
Israel
– 2003, IAEA reports that Iran is Enriching Uranium
– Since then:
– US asserts that Iran is supporting terrorists
– Iran asserts that US is violating Iranian sovereignity
– 2007, US arrests Iranian diplomats in Iraq
– UNSC imposes sanctions on Iran
– Iran arrests 15 British Sailors for venturing into Iranian Waters
Is War Imminent?
PPA 601 Spring 2007 Asymmetric Conflict
ISSUES
OIL
Nuclear Aspirations
Regional Balance of Power
Support of Terrorism
UN Sanctions
PPA 601 Spring 2007 Asymmetric Conflict
Issues involved
Issue 1: Petro$
BY 2010, US NEEDS 50 MILLION BARRELS A DAY OF
OIL
While many regions of the world offer great oil
opportunities, the Middle East with two thirds of the
world's oil and the lowest cost, is still where the prize
ultimately lies.
PETRODOLLARS AND OIL TRADE
The world buys and sells oil in dollars, meaning that all
the countries of the world subsidise the US economy as
the US has a monopoly on printing dollars.
PPA 601 Spring 2007 Asymmetric Conflict
Issues involved
Nuclear Issues
The IAEA reported in 2003, that Iran had hidden a
Uranium enrichment program for 18 years.
Western Members of IAEA called on Iran to commit
itself to stopping all enrichment activities permanently,
but it has refused to do so and has abandoned the
temporary halt as well.
The clash with Iran escalated in Feb 2006, when the
IAEA as a whole reported Iran to Security Council and
in March Security Council decided to take up the issue
after receiving the copy of the report on Iran.
UN had issued dead line to suspend Uranium
enrichment program which ended on 21st Feb 2007,
but Iran ignored the UN deadline.
UNSC slaps sanctions on Iran in March 2007
PPA 601 Spring 2007 Asymmetric Conflict
WEAPON DEVELOPMENT
In recent years, official announcements have
highlighted weapons such as Fajr-3 (MIRV)
missile, Hoot, Kowsar, Fateh-110, Shahab-3, and
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
The Fajr-3 (MIRV) is currently Iran's most
advanced ballistic missile. It is a domestically-
developed and produced liquid fuel missile with
an unknown range
PPA 601 Spring 2007 Asymmetric Conflict
MISSILE PROGRAM
The IRIS solid-fuelled missile is a program which
is supposed to be Iran's first missile to bring
satellites into orbit
PPA 601 Spring 2007 Asymmetric Conflict
Stakeholders
UN
US
Iran
Russia
Israel
Saudi Arabia and other US allied Arab nations
Turkey
Iraq
UK
EU
IAEA
PPA 601 Spring 2007 Asymmetric Conflict
Group Exercise
From PPA 601 class lecture Spring 2007, Framing- Prof Catherine Gerard
PPA 601 Spring 2007 Asymmetric Conflict
US IRAN US IRAN
Position Position Interests Interests
a) Iran is Axis a) US is 1)Resources- 1)Major player in the region
of Evil Imperialist oil 2) Bargain and
b) Iran is evil power out 2) Power in
going Leveraging
to subjugate Mid East
Nuclear - Mid East 3) Increase d status in world
WMD 3) Will not Equation
b) Nuclear for like Iran to
peaceful 4)Sovereignity
rise.
purposes- 5) Respect in the Arab/Muslim
4) Control
energy world
6) Stability in Iraq- Region
PPA 601 Spring 2007 Asymmetric Conflict
Diplomacy
Dialogue—interest based negotiations
Multi-track Diplomacy
Economic Pressure
Public Diplomacy
Military Action
Truth and Reconciliation Commissions
Reframing
PPA 601 Spring 2007 Asymmetric Conflict