Combined Joint Task Force Provide Comfort: What are we Trying to Do? What is the Way Ahead?

On the anniversary of the triumph of Desert Storm, American and Iraqi armed forces are still locked in a struggle of wills. In the middle are up to two million Kurds. These people will be dependent on the continuation of an American commitment for their very survival. At present, this Combined Joint Task Force CJTF sits in eastern Turkey uncertain-of its mission or its role in the American security policy. The regional states watch this force as one of their gages of American commitment. Americas friends equate this U.S. presence as commitment to Americas engagement in regional stability. Americas adversaries see the removal of the CJTF as an opening for possible aggression. It must be asked if this CJTF has larger meaning than humanitarian support for the Kurds The United States has national interests in both the Persian Gulf and Southwest Asia. These interests include national, regional and specific policy goals. The CJTF can contribute to the accomplishment of these goals through the conduct of certain military missions. These missions run the spectrum of deterrence, crisis response and warfighting. There are four potential models for this CJTF. Each model must be able to support the American policy through the execution of the appropriate military missions. It must be able to execute these missions at acceptable levels of risk. At this moment we should ask What is the CJTF attempting to accomplish And what is the organizations way ahead JOINT TASK FORCES, SOUTHWEST ASIA MILITARY AFFAIRS, USEUCOM OPERATIONS, PEACETIME CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS.