"With the demise of the Soviet Union and other nation states with political positions adverse to American and Western interests, the likelihood of a major international confrontation is at an all-time low. This, clearly, is the best of good news.
But along with that we must face the fact that there remain many experienced and trained international terrorists still roaming the world, some with lingering contacts with national intelligence agencies - plus the fact that some nations, while not desirous of a direct confrontation with American or other Western nations, could still make use of the remaining terrorist "free agents" for more narrow political goals.
If anything, this problem is very likely to grow, since under the previous world situation, the major nation states placed firm limits on terrorist activity-these limits enforced by controlled access to weapons, funding, training, and safehavens.
It seems likely that the current world situation will invert the previous "understanding" enjoyed by the major countries. The price of support, weapons, training, and safehavens might well become actual terrorist activity, not the ideological purity previously demanded by sponsoring nation states.
The most obvious solution to this-probably-increasing problem will be a new multinational counterterrorist team.
I propose the code name Rainbow. I further propose that the organization be based in the United Kingdom. The reasons for this are simple:
• The UK currently, owns and operates the Special Air Service, the world's foremost-that is, most experienced-special operations agency.
• London is the world's most accessible city in terms of commercial air travel-in addition to which the SAS has a very cordial relationship with British Airways.
• The legal environment is particularly advantageous, due to press restrictions possible under British law but not American.
• The long-standing "special relationship" between American and British governmental agencies.
For all of these reasons, the proposed special-operations team, composed of US., UK, and selected NATO personnel, with full support from national-intelligence services, coordinated at site..."
But along with that we must face the fact that there remain many experienced and trained international terrorists still roaming the world, some with lingering contacts with national intelligence agencies - plus the fact that some nations, while not desirous of a direct confrontation with American or other Western nations, could still make use of the remaining terrorist "free agents" for more narrow political goals.
If anything, this problem is very likely to grow, since under the previous world situation, the major nation states placed firm limits on terrorist activity-these limits enforced by controlled access to weapons, funding, training, and safehavens.
It seems likely that the current world situation will invert the previous "understanding" enjoyed by the major countries. The price of support, weapons, training, and safehavens might well become actual terrorist activity, not the ideological purity previously demanded by sponsoring nation states.
The most obvious solution to this-probably-increasing problem will be a new multinational counterterrorist team.
I propose the code name Rainbow. I further propose that the organization be based in the United Kingdom. The reasons for this are simple:
• The UK currently, owns and operates the Special Air Service, the world's foremost-that is, most experienced-special operations agency.
• London is the world's most accessible city in terms of commercial air travel-in addition to which the SAS has a very cordial relationship with British Airways.
• The legal environment is particularly advantageous, due to press restrictions possible under British law but not American.
• The long-standing "special relationship" between American and British governmental agencies.
For all of these reasons, the proposed special-operations team, composed of US., UK, and selected NATO personnel, with full support from national-intelligence services, coordinated at site..."
— John Clark's memo on Rainbow's formation in Rainbow Six
