Military Review English Edition March-April 2014 | Page 29

EVIL ON THE HORIZON

State’s Interagency Coordination
is Effective Because…
The State Department, unlike other federal organizations, is well equipped to conduct operations
with other nonmilitary departments and agencies
because of its inherent organizational culture—
namely one of inclusion. State’s tendency toward
openness means more voices are at the table and,
perhaps more importantly, dissenting voices are
encouraged among participants. When it came to
State Department planning for MANPADS security in Syria, interagency players from DOD, the
Department of Homeland Security, the intelligence
community, and others were invited and included
in various working groups early in the process.
Candid debates over divergent views on issues
such as scope, responsibilities, authorities, and
funding took place in an open forum. Moreover,
the MANPADS Task Force, which is a standing
body focused on the MANPADS threat around the
world, provided the State Department (and others)
an interagency-cleared assessment and perspective
on ways to deal with the threat. For this reason, the
State Department’s plan for securing MANPADS in
Syria was more informed and robust than it would
have been otherwise.
The other reason State is so well suited for interagency cooperation is that it is forced, by the very
nature of the role it plays within our government,
to coordinate and synchron