The

U.S.

strategic

themeshould

be

aiding

localpeoples

to

ridthemselves

of

teJrorists

IIldto

free

themselves

of

regimes

that

support

terrorism.

U.S.

Special

OperationsForces

andintelligencepersonnelshouldmake

allieS

of

Mghanis,Iraqis,

Lebanese,Sudanese

and

others

whowould

use

U.S.

equipmeJ1t,

training,

financial,military

IIld

humanitariansupport

to

root

out

and

attackthecommon ·

enemies

.

...

.:

 tHE

 ..

....

 1

•

f;\'

 

.....

 

..

,',L:'.

:

 

,

i

 Jr

SEP

30

rn

-.

I

THE

 .

NSE

1000

DEFENSEPENTAGON

WASHINGTQN.

DC

20301-1000

.

.

MEMORANDUMFOR

THE

PRESIDENT

SUBJECT:

Strategic

Thoughts

.

,

.

.- Some

aiistnkes

1JiIBetS

are

pI8nned

begin

soon.

But,

especially

in

the

war s

initial

period,I

tbiDk

U.S.

actionshould

stras:

 

indirect

(1hrougb

local,

non-U.S.

fOrces)actiem.

in

cooi'diDatimi

with

and

.in

support

of

opposition

groups;.

•directuse

of

U.S.

 forces

iDitiaUy

primarily

to

deliverlogistics,.

intelligence

and

other

support to

opposition

groups

an,d

humanitarian

supplies

to

NGOs

and

and

subsequently•

on-1he-ground

action

against

dte

terrorists

a.s

individua1s-leaders

and

.

.

-

_. _.

 .

_ _._

,

 ._

_-.

 

_.

 . -- --- - -

-

 

....

----._--...

.

 

lither tbADlocusiDB

too

heavily

on:

•direct,

•

aerial

attacks

'on

•

d1in8s

and

people.

 

-

 

-----

--

 

...

 _

..

-.

__

..

...

_

...

..:.-._._

....

_

.

--.-_._---_._.,-_

..

 _

....

_

The

U.S.

shouldexercise

care

IIld

restraint

regarding

,initial

air

strikesuntilintelligence

develops

to

pennit

imptessive

(worthwhile)

strikes

agmst

A1-Qaida

and

other

targets,

strikc;s

that

in

some

instancescan

be

coordinated

to

proVide

effective

support

to

the

opposition.

We

should

avoid

as

much'as

possiblecreating.

images

of

Americans

Jcming

Moslems

untilwehave

set

thePolitical

stage

that

the.

People

we

are

going

afterare

the

enemies

ofMosleiDS

themselves..

Public

expectations

still

are

shaped

by

conventional

thinking

rooted

in

recenthistory.

It

is

therefore

widelY

assumed

that

U.S.

will

strike

soon

and

exclusively

at

A1-Qaida

in

Afghanistan ·

.

 I:ALV

e

 

1 2 158

M , l

1c oo

•

lJt lP HP.I .)

09-M-1810