Abstract
Mapping the Human Terrain: GIS in Support of Cultural Intelligence Track: Defense and Intelligence Author(s): Paul Schaefer In the post-superpower conflict era, threats to international stability and security have increasingly come from states lying in the 'arc of instability.' These states provide an incubator for nontraditional, transnational threats such as terrorist cells and international criminal organizations. Threat organizations use the fractured security environment and the fissures within the population to establish safe havens. The 'human terrain'—the location and loyalties of the population that transnational threats operate among—becomes as important as the physical terrain in shaping the operational environment. Military and intelligence planners need detailed intelligence on the human terrain to conduct effective operations. Current intelligence reports on human loyalties but lacks geolocational data. GIS solutions allow analysts to match up locations, populations, and loyalties to create a picture of the human terrain. The presentation discusses NGA's Political Geography Division's mapping of tribes and ethnic groups in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area. Paul Schaefer NGA PRP 4600 Sangamore Rd Mail Stop D-61 Bethesda, MD 20816 US Phone: 301-227-2360 E-mail: Paul.W.Schaefer@nga.mil |
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