Understanding Intelligence Failure - Warning, Response and Deterrence

This collection, comprising key works by James J. Wirtz, explains how different threat perceptions can lead to strategic surprise attack, intelligence failure and the failure of deterrence.

This volume adopts a strategist's view of the issue of surprise and intelligence failure by placing these phenomena in the context of conflict between strong and weak actors in world affairs. A two-level theory explains the incentives and perceptions of both parties when significant imbalances of military power exist between potential combatants, and how this situation sets the stage for strategic surprise and intelligence failure to occur. The volume illustrates this theory by applying it to the Kargil Crisis, attacks launched by non-state actors, and by offering a comparison of Pearl Harbor and the September 11, 2001 attacks. It explores the phenomenon of deterrence failure; specifically, how weaker parties in an enduring or nascent conflict come to believe that deterrent threats posed by militarily stronger antagonists will be undermined by various constraints, increasing the attractiveness of utilising surprise attack to achieve their objectives. This work also offers strategies that could mitigate the occurrence of intelligence failure, strategic surprise and the failure of deterrence.

This book will be of much interest to students of intelligence studies, strategic studies, security studies and IR in general.

List of contents

Preface
Introduction
1. Theory of Surprise
Part I: The Theory of Surprise Applied
2. Surprise at the Top of the World
3. Surprise and the Non-State Actor
4. Déjà Vu? Comparing Pearl Harbor and 9/11
Part II: Surprise and Deterrence Failure
5. The Balance of Power Paradox
6. Deterring the Weak: Problems and Prospects
Part III: Avoiding Surprise: Toward a New Intelligence Doctrine
7. Red Teaming Surprise
8. Indications and Warning in an Age of Uncertainty
9. From Combined Arms to Combined Intelligence: Philosophy, Doctrine and Operations
10. Conclusion

About the author

James J. Wirtz is Professor and Dean of the School of International Graduate Studies at the Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, California, and author/editor of numerous books, including, most recently, Intelligence: The Secret World of Spies, 4th edition (ed., with Loch Johnson, 2015).

Product details

• Authors: James Wirtz, James (Naval Postgraduate School Wirtz, Wirtz James
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 09.11.2016
• EAN: 9781138942141
• ISBN: 978-1-138-94214-1
• No. of pages: 158
• Series: Studies in Intelligence
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Contemporary history (1945 to 1989); Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Freedom, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Security (National & International), HISTORY / Military / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Intelligence & Espionage, POLITICAL SCIENCE / International Relations / General, military history, HISTORY / Military / Strategy, Peace studies and conflict resolution, Espionage & secret services, Military and defence strategy, Espionage and secret services, Peace studies & conflict resolution, Political control and freedoms