[humint]

VDH: Despite the enormous advantages of Western militaries, there is no guarantee we can keep ahead of terrorists - especially since they are becoming more adept while we seem tired and unsure about whom, why and how we should fight. So far, the U.S. has been able to dodge the latest terrorist bullets. So far, Afghanistan and Iraq are clinging to their newfound democracies. So far, Israel has been able to survive Hamas and Hezbollah, and these groups' state sponsors in Iran and Syria. But unless we in the West adapt more quickly than do canny Islamic terrorists in this constantly evolving war, cease our internecine fighting and stop forgetting what we've learned about our enemies - there will be disasters to come far worse than Sept. 11.

Great Post --- I think VDH and our Sec Def are on the same page. I also think both are brilliant. Check out this excerpt from an AUG22 interview with Rumsfeld.

SECRETARY RUMSFELD: Are the madrassas producing more terrorists? These extreme radical madrassas, are they producing more terrorists every week or month than we're able to capture or kill?

And I don't know the answer, and I don't think anyone knows the answer to that. But it is a fair question, it seems to me. I asked that back in 2003, I believe. And what I was trying to point out to the people in the Department of Defense was that there's a tendency when you call this a global war on terror to think of it as a war of big militaries -- armies, navies, and air forces -- against armies, navies and air forces, and it is not. It is a totally different thing, and it is not something that the Army is going to be able to prevail and -- or the Navy and have a signing ceremony on the USS Missouri at the end of World War II. It is going to be something that's going to take time. It's going to be a long struggle. It's a struggle basically within the Muslim faith of a small minority of violent extremists against the overwhelming majority of Muslims who are not violent extremists, and we need to find ways to empower and strengthen those moderates who are determined to not have their faith hijacked by these violent extremists.

[Eagle74]

I definitely think we are already working that crease with our placing democracy in Iraq. We still need to fight the terrorists on the battle field. The strategic way to do this is to cut off their funding. It has been well known for centuries that for a guerrilla force to function it must have 3 things.
1. Local support (for mundane supplies like food and for intelligence on the enemy)
2. A safe area where they can rest, train, and rearm.
3. And funding
Using the Sadr militia as an example: It's likely we can do little about the local support, the Iraqi army is more likely to make inroads than we are. Nor can we do much about them going to Iran to rest, train, and rearm. It is only the funding we can do much about and there we can seriously cripple them. Without oil the Iranians would be on foot and in the dark. They wouldn't have enough for themselves and so would have nothing for Sadr's militia.