362 Revista del Instituto Español de Estudios Estratégicos Núm. 2 / 2013 its fatal escalation that leads to war. It ends with a ceasefire and an agreement to return to a stable situation. 6. To avoid erosion of domestic support of the military operations, the duration of the conflict plays a vital role, managing these expectations, the missions themselves, and the objectives sought after. These must be specific and measurable. The initial perception is important: “the presentation of these missions should avoid creating false expectation.17 7. Professional armies make “professional” missions possible, limiting the influence of emotional elements on the public, unavoidable if the army was composed of drafted personnel. 8. Portions of actions that are unconventional or asymmetrical have to do with information (called You Tube Wars) and communication (cyber wars). Communication is also present in using “non-warlike” military power. This is characteristic of the new armies after the Cold War, “which includes both the threat of using force or partial use of threat, both of which are characteristic of crisis management”.18 9. The use of military contractors sometimes permits to deviate the focus of public attention away from the managing of sensitive operations against asymmetric opponents. 10. Asymmetry is sought after to avoid an open confrontation, total war. This would end in the annihilation of this type of opponent, which is distant from the postmodern military model. Thus, this new enemy is never pooled together or visible. It will remain fragmented and hidden in the new trenches: the population and news media. 2. A change from the “operational culture”: the comprehensive approach When U.S. General Stanley McChrystal took over the supreme command of ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) operations in June 2009, the situation he found showed that the Taliban despite of defeats in the military terrain had extended its area of territorial influence and the scope of their actions. It seemed contradictory, 17 ARTEAGA, F. “Terrorismo, contrainsurgencia y opinión pública”, en JORDÁN, J., POZO, P. y GUINDO, M.G. (coords.) Terrorismo sin fronteras. Actores escenarios y respuestas en un mundo global. Cizur Menor: Aranzadi Thomson Reuters, 2010, pp. 223. 18 GARCÍA GONZÁLEZ, J. I. Crisis e instrumentos militares de gestión de crisis: adaptación tras la Guerra Fría. Madrid: Ministerio de Defensa, 2008. Tesis doctoral, p. 355.
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