NYT EXCLUSIVE! Turns Out Maybe You Can Defeat Terrorists By Fighting Them

But, but -- for every terrorist you kill you create two more!!!

Not so much, not so much.

This is an Op-Ed by a writer that doesn't necessarily represent the NYT's position, I should say. In fact, I'd cross out the word "necessarily" above entirely.

Still, it's good to see some sense in the NYT.

“AMONG all the bombs, explosives and guns, the number of martyred dead is rising. Though this is the will of Allah, it is nevertheless possible to cause the enemy greater damage without exposing the Muslims to danger. How is it to be done?”

This question, which appeared as a post in May on the Web site Al7orya, one of the most important of Al Qaeda’s closed Internet forums, is only one example of the evidence that has been accumulated by American and Israeli intelligence in recent months of a significant ideological change under way within Osama bin Laden’s organization. Seven years after 9/11, it may well be that we are witnessing the beginning of the end of suicide terrorism and a shift toward advanced technologies that will enable jihadist bombers to carry out attacks and live to fight another day.

...

Despite countless attempts by Western intelligence agencies, and the many projects by psychologists trying to draw the profile of the average suicide terrorist, we have failed miserably in finding a solution to the “poor man’s smart bomb.” Now, however, attrition may achieve what the experts have not: after years of battle in two main arenas — Iraq and Afghanistan — Al Qaeda’s suicide-recruitment mechanisms are beginning to wear out.

While the terrorist group has been careful not to mention it in its official statements, it is no longer uncommon to find jihadists in their chat rooms and, according to Western intelligence sources, in interrogations, stating that young men are reluctant or simply too scared to take part in suicide attacks. At the same time, military blows against Al Qaeda’s training structure since 2001 have meant that the number of extremists with combat experience is decreasing, and that new recruits are harder to train.

That said, the article is speaking only of suicide bombers in particular, and warns that these fraidy-cat Brave Islamic Warriors are now turning to, oh, let's say, less martyriffic means of killing large number of people at once, such as remote detonators (what an innovation) and even strapping bombs to dogs.

Thanks to Rob.

posted by Ace at 12:34 AM

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