2-26. Foreign internal defense operations promote and protect U.S. national interests by influencing the threat and operational variables of political, military, economic, social, information, infrastructure, physical environment, and time through a combination of peacetime developmental, cooperative activities and coercive actions in response to crisis. Army forces, including special operations forces, accomplish stability goals through security cooperation. The military activities that support these operations are diverse, continuous, and often long-term. Their purpose is to promote and sustain regional and global stability. While foreign internal defense is an Army special operations forces core activity, stability tasks also employ Army special operations forces, in addition to Army forces, to assist civil authorities as they prepare for or respond to crises. Foreign internal defense is a broad program that covers a large range of activities. The primary intent is to help the legitimate host government address internal threats and their underlying causes. Commensurate with U.S. policy goals, the focus of all U.S. efforts is to support the host-nation internal defense and development program.