I wrote a couple of weeks ago that I was heading into a lull on posting just to get through a few articles. Well, it didn't happen then, but is happening now. I need a break. Right now, I'm just more interested in "sahabs." No not As-Sahab, these "sahabs."
Don't get me wrong. Just because DC is easing into its summer lull, doesn't mean there's isn't plenty of interesting news and research to comment on. For instance:
There's an ongoing policy debate over the efficacy of having our security and military agencies "working with" radical Islamist front groups whose long term strategy is the ultimate destruction of the American way of life.
In an apparent example of economic jihad, Moroccan officials say they broke up a cell preparing attacks on tourist sites.
China's official news agency actually reports on the country's other Muslims, the Hui, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/23/content_8424881.htm
New Scientist reports that leftist archaeologists are going to let US and/or Israel bomb cultural sites inside Iran.
Crossroads Arabia notes that a senior Saudi scholar called Bin Laden names, or something. Big deal. Unless they're willing to excommunicate him (and they won't), it doesn't matter.
Apparently, our man (al-)Libbi is too busy for video. His latest is an audio is summarized at Internet Terrori Monitor.
Half a world away, The Pest posts pics of a smiling Abu Qatada, who has apparently fallen off the wagon on his diet. The link is here: http://revolution.muslimpad.com/2008/07/11/may-allah-protect-you-shaykh-abu-qataadah/
The Long War Journal reports on the surrender of the "unconventional" warlord, Bibi Aysha. (Before you get shocked! that a patriarchal tribal society like the ones found in SW Asia could produce a Bibi Aysha, just remember there are Western examples, too, including my favorite.)
Perspectives on Terrorism published an article exploring the "battle of ideas" from the Pakistan perspective. Meanwhile, a new NEFA Foundation report reminds us why Pakistan is so important.
Kevin Knodell's "backgrounder" posts on Central Africa (at War is Boring here, here and here) are great starting off point for anyone curious about the region. I suspect that Central Africa is going to become a region of much greater strategic interest in the next five years.
Mihalka and Anderson have written "Is the Sky Falling? Energy Security and Transnational Terrorism." Good work. I agree with the conclusion, but it is based entirely on data analysis. Comprehensive CT analysis needs a little more. After all there were no hijack-jetliner-crash-into-skyscraper data points on September 10, 2001. Still it's worth reading, because it sums up all the OSINT data we do have on terrorist attacks on energy infrastructure. Their article is published in the US Navy's Center for Contemporary Conflict's journal Strategic Insights.
Speaking of oil IntelFusion recently linked to a Harvard-based report on the possible impact of a closure of the Straits of Hormuz. It's a reminder of how complex and -- vulnerable -- the global energy supplies are to "outside" events.
And speaking of IntelFusion, they're reporting on new efforts by DoD in something called "cloud computing." See also this KMWorld report.
I'm back to those clouds again. Posting will be light over the next two weeks as I seek to get a little more out of my summer of "independence."
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