Playing terrorist whack-a-mole

[Allen773]

(CNN)American counterterrorism officials have had much to celebrate in recent days: the killing of ISIS commander Abu Sayyaf in Syria and the trove of "intel" that was taken from his residence by U.S. special forces; the death of the leader of al Qaeda's branch in Yemen, Nasir al-Wuhayshi, in a drone strike; and the possible death in Libya of Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the leader of a virulent North African jihadist group.

But the leadership of these groups is generally replaceable. Consider the case of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi who was the brutal head of al Qaeda in Iraq, the parent organization of ISIS, until he was killed by a U.S. airstrike in Iraq in 2006.

Since then, a number of other leaders from al-Zarqawi's group have been killed, but that did not prevent from ISIS becoming ISIS -- a group that today lords over millions of people and occupies territory in Syria and Iraq that is around the size of the United Kingdom.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/16/opinions/bergen-whack-a-mole-strategy/

 

[McHrozni]

Unlike with whack-a-mole, terrorist leaders aren't as easily replacable. Sure, a new one will arise immediately, but whenever you kill a man you also destroy his experience and skills.

Play whack a mole with terrorists long enough, and they won't be able to do more than the simpliest attacks against the most vurneable targets - away from the civilized world, prefferably.

It's not an ideal situation, but it's the best we can do. Perhaps someday the true causes of terrorism will be addressed and fixed, until then this whack a mole will have to suffice.

McHrozni

 

[Gilbert Syndrome]

Too bad we can't whack more of these twats...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-33284937

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-33287978

 

[marplots]

Unlike with whack-a-mole, terrorist leaders aren't as easily replacable. Sure, a new one will arise immediately, but whenever you kill a man you also destroy his experience and skills.

Play whack a mole with terrorists long enough, and they won't be able to do more than the simpliest attacks against the most vurneable targets - away from the civilized world, prefferably.

It's not an ideal situation, but it's the best we can do. Perhaps someday the true causes of terrorism will be addressed and fixed, until then this whack a mole will have to suffice.

McHrozni

I think that's at the heart of the problem. There seems to be no end to vulnerable targets and simple attacks.

 

[Oystein]

I think that's at the heart of the problem. There seems to be no end to vulnerable targets and simple attacks.

There's no end to rape, bank robbery or car crashes, but we do our best to keep them down.

 

[Monketi Ghost]

Unlike with whack-a-mole, terrorist leaders aren't as easily replacable. Sure, a new one will arise immediately, but whenever you kill a man you also destroy his experience and skills.

Play whack a mole with terrorists long enough, and they won't be able to do more than the simpliest attacks against the most vurneable targets - away from the civilized world, prefferably.

It's not an ideal situation, but it's the best we can do. Perhaps someday the true causes of terrorism will be addressed and fixed, until then this whack a mole will have to suffice.

McHrozni

Good post.

 

[marplots]

There's no end to rape, bank robbery or car crashes, but we do our best to keep them down.

Yes, and we should. But what makes terrorism particularly challenging is that each of the things you listed, and an endless list of others, could be the result of a terrorist motivation. It isn't the specific deed so much as the desire to commit an evil, outrageous act.

There's no end of possible targets under that paradigm. Your artistic terrorist may go for some newsworthy twist - nerve gas anyone? - but I don't think you can prevent terrorism in even the most highly controlled situations. Prison comes to mind as an example.

Maybe the goal shouldn't be prevention so much as loss mitigation. Which makes me wonder how the general populations in terrorist-rich countries manage.

 

[McHrozni]

There's no end to rape, bank robbery or car crashes, but we do our best to keep them down.

Precisely. And with good police action, they go down eventually. It's the same with terrorism. We'll never be free of terrorism, but we could maintain a managable level of terrorism. The whack-a-mole is an important part of that.

McHrozni