Some (scratch that) A Lot of Terrorism Links

-As interesting as it is to look at the individuals who have thrown off Al Qaeda and failed suicide bombers, I do not think it is that instructive. Leaving will be for any number of personal reason. While it can be instructive of potential weak points where a government could step in and co-opt a member of the group, and those that drop out can be instructive as to the inner workings of the organization, there wont be much more then that.

-Disgusting... But at the same time ingenious... Hook 'em while they're young so they dont know any better. You can turn anyone into a monster or killing machine.

-I suppose the point is we are using terrorist org's own policies and fears to deter them? i.e. Increased security so attacks are less effective, which the groups take to mean is a failure.

-The 'Cult of the Suicide bomber'! Follows the argument I made in a previous post. That AQM is inherently limited by the desire for martyrdom by those flocking to them in Iraq.

-Olivier Roy, simply because he's the best.

-True, but this indifference, with the proper PR campaign, will be the most effective way to force a disconnect. I have to pick up Sageman's new book, he talks about (at least in his Foreign Policy Mag article) about the need to force a disconnect between the terrorist and their dreams/visions of glorious heroism. There's more then enough out there, it just has to be focused and widely broadcast. We can't let them write their own narrative. More on the subject.

- I do not buy it. Terrorism has a decidedly political end. That is what separates it from simple crime and plain violence. Terrorism requires a calling card left behind to show 'hey, it was me, if you do not want this to happen again then stop doing X,Y,Z'. Without the calling card, even it if was meant to force a policy change, it wont! Because no one will know what the change is, and no one will be able to associate one attack with another. Now, in the context of 4GW between states. This could be very effective. As a precursor to some kind of conventional attack, or territory grab. As far as terrorism goes, the ideas in this article would have to be structured quite differently to make any kind of impact at all on the attacked nation.

-Surest way to drain the swamp is to go after the $$$. We need help though. And really by cutting off legitimate avenues of money transfer (one of the key aspects of AQ franchises) this will increase reliance on informal and illicit avenues. Informal Islamic banking revolves around simple promises to repay. So money is transfered from the franchiser to a guy in Pakistan to one guy in England and then to the franchisee, without actual money ever changing hands except in the last transaction. No interest either! This leaves no readily discernible trail. Eventually it probably will, but nothing direct enough to connect the dots. Illicit means leave a much larger trail, and many avenues are already watched and guarded by expansive systems.

-A highlight of the oddities in Islamist ideology.

-Here is a list of those groups designated as terrorists by the US.