I've just returned from a few days away and it seems the course of events has taken a dramatic turn.
From what I've read over the last few days, AQ seems to be ramping up to do something. The OBL tape release, heightened threats to NYC and other documented threats you guys have posted in the last few days on the thread.
Al Arabiya has been pouring over Sheik Bashirs "vision" of American destruction recently. We put that on thread one or two if I remember correctly. I know the enemy likes to describe pending operations cloaked as "religious visions".
Exsoldier and Hipshot have made several excellent observations about the changing nature of this war. I've been a follower of military history and tactics for much of my life, and I see a sea change in events beginning.
Traditionally, war has been fought on economic, political, military, industrial, and propaganda fronts. Non Combatants in both of these wars were actively involved in one or more of the fronts, and sometimes became targets of military action during strategic operations by the other side, but they were not actively targeted by the enemy out of respect for human life.
For examples: World War one is an example of a war won on the political and economic fronts. World War Two was won on all fronts. Civilian casualties occurred in both, but these casualties were not desirable or sought out by top commanders as a method of winning the war. The goal was to destroy the military capability of the other side, and their armies.
The War on Terror is being fought on all fronts, and Al Qaeda is active on all the traditional fronts, as well as two new ones.
One newly emerging front is becoming clear:
the enemy desires to target civilians more than they desire to target the military in order to make quantum advances in psychological warfare and political processes.
They make the largest advances by killing innocent civilians, and the more innocent the civilian is, the better. The more atrocious the death of the civilian, and the more publicity it gets that instills fear in the population, the better. The publicity it gets instills fear and causes political and psychological goals they desire to win the war, and it has been successful.
A second emerging front is also clarifying:
The enemy infiltrates into regions and gains a power base before becoming active in military operations. When they become active, they use guerilla warfare against civilians to gain political, economic, military, industrial, or propaganda advantage.
An example is the uprising in Iraq. Zarquawi was relatively unknown until the Al Sadr uprising, then he emerged with a vengeance. He recruited, infiltrated, and set up his operations. Once he was in place and ready, he became active in the background of the Al Sadr uprising, eventually rising to eclipse it and become the leading counter-Coalition force in Iraq.
If they were to gain some type of military advantage or superweapon, like Hitler desired, we could be in serious jeopardy. Civilians would be the primary target, not military capability. Military capability is immaterial to them becasue they avoid confronting the military due to the fact they always lose.
Stonewall Jackson often used the Bible to review tactics and determine the nature of a foe, and in this case it fits to a "T". Thats probably why he is famous and I am not..LOL
The same tactics we face today were used by the Amalekites against ancient Israel during the Exodus.
Part two:
Exodus 17
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."
15 Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. 16 He said, "For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD . The [1] LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation."
once they hit us again and again...all bets are off and I hope we take them OUT, no regrets.
thank you for your summary
Sobering assessment; thanks.