Tuesday, March 16, 2004

Pakistani forces get a bloody nose: Pakistani officials said the clashes erupted when a force of about 300 Pakistani paramilitaries tried to nab suspected Al Qaeda members and local tribesmen believed to be sheltering them in a mud-brick compound in the village of Kaloosha in South Waziristan. Before they could get inside, they found themselves surrounded by 400 to 500 militants, officials said. The officials said they had not expected the strength and breadth of the resistance, which they said came from both local and foreign militants. "Their level of training and resilience has surprised us all," said a senior government official in Wana, the administrative center of South Waziristan. The government forces were eventually rescued by 400 reinforcements, but not before they suffered heavy casualties, the senior official said. Militants also ambushed government forces in at least two other locations in South Waziristan, including the village of Dabkoot. 9:01:05 PM    Comment_ Trackback []

The crucial question that Rumsfeld (BBC interview, no transcript yet) is dealing with is: How quickly is al Qaeda replenishing its ranks and funds?  He correctly concludes that there is an appearance of progress in prosecuting the GWOT (global war on terror).  The GWOT's fundamental nature can best be understood as a war of attrition.  Rates of replenishment are as important as rates of depletion.  Are we fighting a Russian campaign (as a way to characterize a weak enemy with unlimited resources and territorial depth) or not? 1:56:20 PM    Comment_ Trackback []

CNN.  Peter Bergen on al Qaeda.  "This is more like a mass movement, and you can arrest as many people as you want. But it's very hard to arrest the movement of ideas." 12:47:37 PM    Comment_ Trackback []

Next Generation Terrorism  New restricted discussion group on the future of terrorism.  It is a private group (only members can read messages) due to the sensitive nature of the topic.  Informed discussion only.  Topics include:  network-centric organizations, swarming, smart mobs, social technology (software), infrastructure attack, cyberwarfare, counter-terrorism, the decline of the nation-state, 4G warfare, transnational crime, corporate mercenaries, cascading failure, and more. 10:19:38 AM    Comment_ Trackback []