Combining the Underworld Identification of South East Asian Non-State Actor Proliferation Networks, Nodes, and Chokepoints

The US military, as with all US government agencies, shares the responsibility for countering proliferation efforts. Although we have identified the types of threat we face, the systems through which it operates are more difficult to identify. Each region of the world, and indeed, each country have its own peculiarities. This paper asks the question, "How can we be prepared to identify potential proliferation networks and chokepoints in South East Asia?" This paper proposes that a potential solution is the development of a common template that we can use as a starting point for identification of networks, chokepoints, and nodes. This template begins by looking at the interactions within a single country and expands to a geographical region, then ties in other regions to encompass the globe. This paper focuses on South East Asia, and will use examples from a single country for the sample template. The US needs a holistic template that includes networks for other illicit trades identified by not only the Department of Defense but also other agencies. These templates, once completed, may not reveal existing networks, but they could identify the potential for network formation, and assist us in analyzing nodes to monitor, influence, or disrupt.