"Open Source" Insurgents Rise
A few days ago, a Marine Corps major, David High, argued that the fight in Iraq isn't really an insurgency at all.
There is not a web of like-minded (much less amenable) patriots gaining succor and inspiration from the populace. There are a thousand disparate cabals and petit punks and opportunists, each with competing motivations and interests... The permutations are endless and motivations intertwined.
All of which, from what I've understand, is interesting and true; I've heard reports of more than 75 distinct groups fighting the U.S. over there. But it's also kind of irrelevant. Because these insurgents may not need a cohesive ideology to thrive. Technology, in many ways, has taken its place.
It used to be that a small group of ideological-driven guerilla leaders would spread information, tactics, training, and cash to their followers. No more. Internet-enabled insurgents with only the loosest of real-world connections can now share all of that freely online. These guys don't have to like each other. They don't have to agree with one another. They don't even have to interact, really. All they have to do is post material to the Net. John Robb -- who's doing some of the smartest thinking and writing around on the subject -- calls it "Open Source warfare."
Without using the term themselves, the Washington Post has just finished a must-read three-part series on these Open Source guerillas. Here's a snippet from today's final installment:
An entire online network of Zarqawi supporters serves as backup for his insurgent group in Iraq, providing easily accessible advice on the best routes into the country, trading information down to the names of mosques in Syria that can host a would-be fighter, and eagerly awaiting the latest posting from the man designated as Zarqawi's only official spokesman.
"The technology of the Internet facilitated everything," declared a posting this spring by the Global Islamic Media Front, which often distributes Zarqawi messages on the Internet...
This and other Arabic-language forums hosted discussions on the latest news from Iraq, provided a place for swapping tips on tradecraft, circulated religious justifications for jihad, and acted as intermediary between would-be fighters and their would-be recruiters...
Many postings to the boards were not official statements from al Qaeda but unsolicited advice, such as the recent notice called "the road to Mesopotamia" posted on an underground Syrian extremist site, in which one veteran offered a detailed scouting report, down to advice on bribing Syrian police and traveling to the border areas by claiming to be on a fishing trip.
The bulletin boards also make information quickly available from Iraq, where fighters are gaining combat experience against the U.S. military. In one case cited by John Arquilla, a professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in California, would-be insurgents in the Sahara Desert were able to ask for -- and receive -- information from the ground in Iraq about how best to build bombs.
In this way, the new Iraqi "non-insurgency" may be tougher to beat, ultimately, than the more ideological guerillas of the past. With such a diverse band sharing information so quickly, there's no one "leader" or group of leaders to eliminate. In fact, taking out the most visible leaders might only make the Open Source network more efficient, by eliminating unnecessary nodes.
Some might read Major High's comments, and take comfort. Me, I'm nervous as hell.
THERE'S MORE: Major High -- and a whole lot of other people -- respond in the comments section. Be sure to read.
The technology of the Internet is facilitating everything: including shopping, insurgency, information, terrorist collaboration, military manuals, etc. It can't be "taken out". It is already nodeless. It has hit the "critical point"...the point at which no amount of external interference can effect it. There are nationless organizations and sites springing up by the thousands each month. Let's just use it to spread disinformation where we need to. After all, our Thug Administration has perfected the "disinformation" technique. Learn from them.
We're not "creating terrorists" as so often claimed by posters, but we have certainly created a thorough training ground in Iraq. With standard weapons and internet "gleaned" information, they have created a highly mobile, transparent fighting force with one goal...kill the US soldier. If not a US soldier, kill the other tribe's people. All the same, practice KILLING.
The only "ideological crap" that the groups we're fighting in Iraq have to buy into is..... kill the the infidel. And we are it.
Asking a poster to "Please don't post opinions unverified by facts" is assinine. All opinions are needed and, by right, we are assured that we can post them in this democracy. Mind and opinion control is for budding "Mein Kampfers".
Re: Vietnam. "If the press had encouraged us to perserve (sic), rather than capitulate...etc.,etc." I think after 56,000 dead and hundreds of thousands maimed the US was ready to leave a war generated by lies (something new?). Nothing about that war would have been "averted" except the continued killing and agent-oranging of each country we invaded.
Some more crap..."I'm not defending "Bush from his Stupidity" because that simply isn't so. He is our leader, and we expect him to lead."
Ohh...sh*t! You're making me sick.
And again..."That does not entail asking your opinion, Ed, it entails taking the information he had at hand at the time and solving a problem. He did that. We expect our leaders to strike out and defend our nation when it is under attack - and he did that with the forces he had at hand."
Boy are you delusional. You just wanna suppress everybody's opinion except yours. Do you read? Are you in touch at all? Maybe, I should ask..ARE YOU CONSCIOUS? This is a democracy! He does not get to "strike out" whenever he feels like it. We debate, FORM OPINIONS, and vote on releasing our armed might to pillage and destroy a country! OK?
"The world outside of the US is teaming with Warlords, Bullys, Thugs or what ever you want to call them."
Oh, really? Gosh...an US OR THEM political observation. Check out this administration, mein Fuhrer, This is the epitome of dictatorship. Our THUG ignores the people, the congress, his generals,...etc,etc, ...and continues support of HIS mindless bestial "war". It is costing us $100Million per week, 100 dead GIs a month, untold hundreds a month of maimed and wounded guys and gals. Geez..what's the matter with me? I'm just not the "PATRIOT" I used to be.
Posted by: Dean Livingston at February 15, 2007 12:22 PM