ABSTRACT
This chapter offers a few final reflections on selective critical elements of Low-Intensity Conflict (LIC) that the political leadership, policymakers, and ultimately the United States (US) public should consider in defending and promoting national security interests. Those who work inside the Beltway are constantly "putting out fires," but they must look beyond the immediate danger. They must develop broader insights, policies, and strategies to meet the complex long-term demands that LIC poses for the United States and its allies. Analysts and scholars must refine their abilities to look beyond the massive flow of information on affairs and identify longer term developments that can act as a triggering mechanism; they can thus make policymakers aware of potential LIC environments before such areas became critical to US security. In the final analysis the formulation and implementation of US policies on LIC rest in the hands of the president.
