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Strategy Employing Scissors for Agent Arrangement

Strategy Known as "Scissors" Explained: The "Scissors Strategy" has various names, and some readers may be unfamiliar with its workings or potential effectiveness. To clarify, let's look at a couple of theoretical/historical instances. Case One: Afghanistan In 1979, the Soviet Union...

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Agent Placement Technique through Scissors Approach
Agent Placement Technique through Scissors Approach

Strategy Employing Scissors for Agent Arrangement

In the late 20th century, the Soviet Union and Russia employed a strategic approach known as the "scissors strategy" during conflicts in Afghanistan and Chechnya. Although the term may not have been explicitly used in military doctrine, the tactics applied align with the principle of applying coordinated maneuvers from multiple directions to constrain and defeat an adversary.

During the Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989), the Soviet forces engaged in a counter-insurgency campaign that combined direct military offensives with encirclement tactics. The Soviets often employed coordinated sweeps from multiple directions to cut off escape routes, akin to the closing blades of scissors, combined with strong air support and control of key terrain.

In Chechnya, during the 1990s and 2000s, Russian special forces and military units used dual pressure maneuvers such as encirclement, simultaneous attacks from multiple axes, and blockades to isolate rebel groups. This approach aimed to squeeze and fragment opposition forces, forcing them into untenable positions or surrender.

The objective of the Soviet infiltration strategy was to place agents in key sectors, such as tribal groups, criminal mafia, police organizations, economic centers, and political parties. Soviet agents infiltrated Afghanistan, particularly ethnic Tajik and Uzbek agents, to influence groups inside the country. Similarly, in Chechnya, the rudiment of Wahhabism appears to be related to suspected KGB agents.

Conflict, especially violent conflict, was used to advance agents into positions of power within their respective groups. With agents in the criminal underworld and inside the police, the Soviet Union acquired access to information on corruption, including within intelligence services, banking systems, and political parties.

The Soviet Union also directed military operations within the mujaheddin, killing off dangerous fighters while identifying promising young recruits from the Arab world. In recent years, some of these recruits have reappeared, involved in recruiting new terrorists for ISIS.

The ultimate concluding moves of such a game were played from Kabul to Baghdad to Washington. The Soviet Union prepared Afghanistan for invasion by building roads, airfields, and creating infrastructure for future invasion. Similarly, Russian Defense Minister Pavel Grachev's statement about a huge World War III exercise in the North Caucasus Military District foretold the Chechen wars of the 1990s.

In summary, while the "scissors strategy" may not have been explicitly named in military doctrine, the tactics employed by the Soviet Union and Russia in Afghanistan and Chechnya align with the principle of applying coordinated maneuvers from multiple directions to constrain and defeat an adversary. This strategy involved infiltration, conflict, and consolidation of power, ultimately aimed at controlling key sectors and advancing agents into positions of power.

  1. The strategic approach known as the "scissors strategy," while not explicitly mentioned in military doctrine, was effectively employed by the Soviet Union and Russia in conflicts like Afghanistan and Chechnya.
  2. During the Soviet-Afghan War, the Soviets applied a combination of direct military offensives, encirclement tactics, and strong air support, mirroring the closing blades of scissors.
  3. In Chechnya, Russian forces used coordinated maneuvers from multiple directions, such as encirclement, simultaneous attacks, and blockades, in an effort to isolate rebel groups.
  4. The objective of the Soviet infiltration strategy was to place agents in key sectors, including tribal groups, criminal mafia, police organizations, economic centers, and political parties.
  5. Conflict was used to advance these agents into positions of power, granting the Soviet Union access to inside information on corruption within intelligence services, banking systems, and political parties.
  6. The Soviet Union also directed military operations within the mujaheddin, identifying and eliminating dangerous fighters while nurturing promising young recruits to be used in future conflicts.
  7. Strategic moves, such as the preparation of Afghanistan for invasion and the announcement of large-scale military exercises, were played from Kabul to Baghdad to Washington.
  8. In essence, the "scissors strategy" involved infiltration, conflict, and consolidation of power, ultimately aimed at controlling key sectors and advancing agents into positions of power, a strategy that was evident in both the Afghanistan and Chechnya conflicts.

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