Stole this Stick from the Naval War College

[Roguish Lawyer]

1. Under what circumstances do strategies that incorporate terrorism have the greatest chances of success?

2. Under what circumstances are strategies that utilize terrorism most prone to failure?

3. How can a terrorist movement best exploit a government's political or military reaction against it?

4. How can terrorists best shape their campaigns to attract formal or informal support from abroad?

5. What are the strengths and weaknesses of terrorism as an instrument of mass political mobilization?

Stole it from here, where there is a bunch of background material and a reading list:

http://www.nwc.navy.mil/CNCSCaseStud...ses/case11.htm

Any takers?

[NousDefionsDoc]

18 views and not one reply. LOL

1. Those in which the enemy is a clearly definable group, such as a different race, color, or some other very distinguishing characteristic(s). Or, those in which the target has a generalized history of being hated - Jewish people come to mind (I still don't know why). In other words, the target "deserves" it. Or those in which the results of the terrorist incidents are not portrayed graphically or can be manipulated (before television, terrorists control the television).

2. When the target is very much like the perpetrators. When the target is generally well thought of. When the violence is graphically protrayed. When children are targeted.

3. Managing perception to make the reaction seem unwarranted or extreme. Often brings relatively minor grievances under a microscope, uncovering more serious hidden problems.

4. By understanding their target audience and seeking to manage perception by emphasizing common causes or needs.

5. Weakness - Its use as a recruting is limited to the very fanatical or the coerced. More moderate elements may be put off by the violence. Target countermeasures may destroy the movement. It may cause the loss of both internal and external support. It doesn't work. It may wake up the Team Sergeant and piss him off.

Strength - As a recruiting tool, it attracts the fanatical. It captures media and world attention very rapidly. It can force a weak government to its knees rapidly.

[NousDefionsDoc]

Very general and simplified. You guys aren't going to discuss Rl's thread? You really don't like lawyers do you? Good thread RL.

[Roguish Lawyer]

Acorn my eye! I guess we're done now. LOL

Maybe Jimbo will weigh in?

[CRad]

I'll give you my thoughts later. I want to read up a little first. We have a week before he gets back.

[NousDefionsDoc]

Originally posted by Roguish Lawyer
Acorn my eye! I guess we're done now. LOL

Maybe Jimbo will weigh in?

That's like 101, most of it is in the introduction to the books I'm working now. I felt bad for posting, but nobody else would.

The amazing thing is, even though it doesn't work, they insist on trying it.

Good example going on in Haiti right now. The Dominicans are in it. The regime will probably take advantage to wipe out the opposition.

[Pandora]

Didn't do the reading - aiming for niave, but succinct:

1. Under what circumstances do strategies that incorporate terrorism have the greatest chances of success?

Complacency - internally within the target countries; externally a la Chomsky-loving "allied" countries; internally religionally, socio-religious regions.

2. Under what circumstances are strategies that utilize terrorism most prone to failure?

Wrath. Discuss.

3. How can a terrorist movement best exploit a government's political or military reaction against it?

Popular media - i.e. al Jeezera.

4. How can terrorists best shape their campaigns to attract formal or informal support from abroad?

By pervertimg religious or seculsr teachings.

5. What are the strengths and weaknesses of terrorism as an instrument of mass political mobilization?

strength - call to common hatred
weakness - call to common hatred towards the U.S.

[Footmobile]

Originally posted by Roguish Lawyer
1. Under what circumstances do strategies that incorporate terrorism have the greatest chances of success?

2. Under what circumstances are strategies that utilize terrorism most prone to failure?

3. How can a terrorist movement best exploit a government's political or military reaction against it?

4. How can terrorists best shape their campaigns to attract formal or informal support from abroad?

5. What are the strengths and weaknesses of terrorism as an instrument of mass political mobilization?

Stole it from here, where there is a bunch of background material and a reading list:

http://www.nwc.navy.mil/CNCSCaseStud...ses/case11.htm

Any takers?

1. - When they make full use of, and have a friendly MEDIA outlet to voice their propaganda, especially within their target groups population.

2. - When they don't have an outlet or a strong voice in the any MEDIA, least of which is that of their target group.

3. - By getting inside said governments own MEDIA "OODA Loop" (oh no, not that thread again! ), a terrorist group may be able to influence events in its target governments policy decisions be it on the sly or by geting its target to acknowledge the terrorist groups effectiveness.

i.e. 9/11=instant fame for A.Q, Bin Laden and his cause, and the media pundits and political opponent second guessing of the Bush Administraions policies. They have to a certain point created more friction inside our own government, which has hampered our ablity to track them down and kill them.

4. MEDIA, MEDIA, MEDIA. Attract a large audience by getting on the band wagon of a hot issue.

i.e. A.Q. and Bin Laden jumping on the "Free Palestine" train when they really could give a rats ass about the actual plight of the Palestinians.

5. Alot of Terrorisms strengths and weaknesses revlove around its ability to influence the MEDIA and its targets perception of reality. If it can influence the MEDIA either by its actions or propaganda it will be effective. If it cannot get that 30 second blurb on CNN every night, it will not.


I am surely oversimplifying this, but the whole Media thing just jumped out at me as one thing that all those questions had in common.

[CRad]

1. When the opposing force or government is positioned as being much worse than the terrorists. The examples of Algeria and the French and Ireland and England were good ones.


2. When the terrorist are as bad or worse than the governments they are trying to overthrow. SL was more muderous than government and offered no benefits.

3. Human Rights! Egos. Neither the British in Ireland nor the French in Algeria wanted to be thought of as murdering bastards. In Algeria the French even went so far as to say they were the fathers of human rights so to be torturing people went against their nature. <rolling my eyes at that>

4. Feature it as a struggle for self-determination against a repressive, imperialistic government.

5. Weakness is that thieves and sociopaths will join your group and give all honest terrorists a bad name.
Strengths - if it works then it's a big gun in a small arsenal. Cheap and it works.