0 - The Black Vault

THE BDM CORPORA NON
INSIGHTS
Objectives and When trying to translate broad national objectives and
Strategies strategies into specifir programs that can be implemented
successfully in a foreign country, the US is
likely to encounter problems, the nature and seriousness
of which are affected by many factors. The most
significant of these factors are included below-
* The maintenance of clarity and consistency in
directives issued by national authorities which
state national objectives and strategies.
* The willingness of, and the time available for,
in-country planners, analysts, and decision makers
to assess the local situation in all its social
?nd political complexity.
• T'he nature of the local situation, including its
social, political, economic, and military factors.
0 The environmertal or axternal ,actors influencing
the nature of the local situation (for example,
USSR and PRC assistance to the DRV and factors
associated with such alliances).
0 The ability and adequacy of resources available to
in-country personnel (including intelligence functionaries)
to perform assessments, to provide
realistic and honest app-aisals, and to make decisions
on implementation.
* The clarity and early presentation by in-country
analysts and decision makers of any information
relevant tr national level decision-making concerning
giobal and in-country objectives and
strategies.
LESSON
In conflicts involvng the US and allied
forces against other powers, inconsistencies
and incoherence in US and allied objectives
and strategies are likely to arise and pose
problems for in-country and national level
US and allied military planneis. US national
policy makers could greatly assist in-country
planners by ensuring the maximum reasonable
clarity, consistency, and specificity in any
directives they transmit. The precise determination
of what is maximally reasonable must
be made at both the political and military
levels, where explicit interpretation of
national policy should occur before incountry
planners are engaged. It is important
that this determination be the result of
prior, conscientious deliberation, rather
than of default or over-rationalization as
sometimes occ,,rred during the Vietnam
conflct.
EX-2