U.S. adapts Cold War idea to fight terrorists

[flashl]

Source: IHT

WASHINGTON: In the days immediately after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, members of President George W. Bush's war cabinet declared that it would be impossible to deter the most fervent extremists from carrying out even more deadly terrorist missions with biological, chemical or nuclear weapons.

Since then, however, administration, military and intelligence officials assigned to counterterrorism have begun to change their view. After piecing together a more nuanced portrait of terrorist organizations, they say there is reason to believe that a combination of efforts could in fact establish something akin to the posture of deterrence, the strategy that helped protect the United States from a Soviet nuclear attack during the Cold War.

Interviews with more than two dozen senior officials involved in the effort provided the outlines of previously unreported missions to mute Al Qaeda's message, turn the jihadi movement's own weaknesses against it and illuminate Al Qaeda's errors whenever possible.

A primary focus has become cyberspace, which is the global haven of terrorist networks. To counter efforts by terrorists to plot attacks, raise money and recruit new members on the Internet, the government has mounted a secret campaign to plant bogus e-mail messages and Web site postings, with the intent to sow confusion, dissent and distrust among militant organizations, officials confirm.

IHT

Read more: http://iht.com/articles/2008/03/18/america/terror.php

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Great. A twofer, declare perpetual war and take the attack to the Internet.

[Demeter]

1. Which Terrorists Are These He's Fighting?

Spitzer? Siegelman? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Robb]

2. Smartest thing I've heard in a while

Clearly the institution is more clever than its head.

[bemildred]

3. Great, maybe we can fight them with imaginary guns on the web.

I'll bet that would be a lot cheaper and less messy anyway.

[Bigmack]

5. Finally... a use for the Keyboard Kommandos in Freepland! nt

[ConcernedCanuk]

4. Formerly, terrorists had small uncoordinated cells. Bush gave them a whole COUNTRY.

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IRAQ.

With the pittance of unorganized military that the USA is trying to occupy Iraq with, the borders are basically undefended.

Turkey's invasion to the north would have been squashed under Saddam.

Saddam at one time had over a million military, reduced to about 400,000 after Gulf War 1 and a decade of sanctions.

Saddam still held the borders secure with them 400,000.

But that 400,000 knew the people, and the terrain.

USA knows squat, can't even speak the language.

So 150,000 + 100,000 contracting

Just ain't gonna do it.

BUSH! - do the math.