Stealing al Qaeda's Playbook

[xoxoxoBruce]

According to CNN "two West Point studies that portray the terror network as sophisticated but its daily operations as banal."

And another study, "Harmony and Disharmony: Exploiting al Qaeda's Organizational Vulnerabilities," studies captured documents and intercepted communications.

They've come up with a list of jihadists thinking and how the U.S. should handle it:

1- Direct engagement with the United States has been positive for the movement because it rallies locals, drains U.S. resources and puts pressure on Washington's allies.

To counter the first trend, the study says the United States "should avoid direct, large-scale military action in the Middle East. If such fighting is necessary, it must be done through proxies whenever possible."


2- The movement has become decentralized, making training camps obsolete and opening doors to new venues for training, such as urban areas and the Internet.

Therefore, the study authors write, the United States "must be aware of the consequences of creating new theaters for jihad, particularly in the Arab world. The U.S. must also find ways to redirect the alienation among Muslim youth that is fueling recruitment."


3- Jihadist ideologues want to establish Islamic states that can be used as training bases and to help develop the "nuclei of the future jihadi order." But rather than overthrowing a sitting ruler, they would be content to create enclaves in poorly policed regions.

The United States should compete by helping local surrogates establish their own enclaves "in regions where there are security vacuums," according to the study.


4- Jihadists frown on bad publicity and want to foster an image that will convince people to join their groups.

The study suggests using Cold War-era propaganda tactics to covertly sway public opinion. Attempts by the U.S. "to elicit pro-American feelings in the Middle East by making public pronouncements about the true nature of Islam or the virtues of democracy" should be avoided.


5-Jihadists see religious leadership as integral to attracting youths and lending legitimacy to violence.

The United States "should very carefully and unobtrusively support Muslim religious leaders and movements" that counter the movement, even if the leaders are not friendly with the West," the study says.

"If the bottom line is a rejection of violence against the United States and its allies, [such groups] should be supported."


6- Jihadists look for insights in Western thought and U.S. strategic planning.

According to the study, the United States should counter these efforts by "establishing a think tank staffed with highly trained experts on the Middle East and counterinsurgency whose sole purpose would be to identify the major jihadi thinkers and analyze their works."

I guess Bush didn't read this memo, either.