Ci Humint on the War Against Terrorism Gender Integration

Gender Integration in CI/HUMINT and the War against Terrorism

Gender Integration in CI/HUMINT on the War against Terrorism in the Middle East and Strategies for Effective Implementation

Shea Larson

Harry Nimon, Committee Chair

Dr. Troy Mitchell, Subject Matter Expert

Dr. Amanda Bowers, Committee Member

The success of counterinsurgency operations depends on the effectiveness and appropriateness of intelligence gathered. Human subjects are a crucial source of intelligence for counterinsurgency operations. Previously, the U.S. Armed Forces created opportunities for women to occupy specific positions in the counterintelligence/human intelligence (CI/HUMINT) discipline. However, women remain the minority, and researchers are largely divided on whether their participation ought to be increased. Researchers raised concerns that the decision to integrate women into HUMINT units could cost the country in the long-term as it is likely to ruin unit cohesion and impede overall effectiveness. Proponents of the idea of gender integration, however, argue that the inclusion of women in HUMINT units enhances the units' strength and internal cohesion (Rosen et al., 2003). In the wake of this controversy, studies examining the role of women in CI/HUMINT collection remain severely limited. Moreover, studies seeking to determine best practices for effective integration are rare. This thesis seeks to demonstrate why integration in the CI/HUMINT community is a well-calculated idea. It examines how the integration of women in the CI/HUMINT service area facilitates the process of intelligence gathering from human subjects in the war against terrorism. Moreover, it identifies specific strategies for ensuring the maximum realization of benefits.