What is characterized as low-intensity conflict in intelligence?

Low-intensity conflict in intelligence refers to military operations that occur below the threshold of conventional warfare. This term generally encompasses situations where there is ongoing unrest, insurgency, or guerrilla activities, rather than full-scale military confrontations. The characteristics of such conflicts often include prolonged engagements, the use of irregular forces, and confusion between combatants and non-combatants, all of which fall under the broad umbrella of low-intensity conflict.

This type of conflict typically involves strategies and operations that are not associated with high-intensity combat but still require significant intelligence efforts to manage, assess, and counter. In contrast, high-tech warfare involving cyber attacks represents a different scope of operations that could sometimes escalate into conventional conflict. Peacekeeping operations, while crucial, focus on maintaining peace rather than engaging in low-intensity conflict. Covert operations also focus on specific objectives and may not characterize the broader, prolonged engagements typical of low-intensity scenarios. Thus, the characterization of military operations as low-intensity conflict specifically aligns with those that do not reach the scale or intensity of conventional warfare.