Quote:
Originally posted by PhiPsiRuss: On today's Meet the Press, Senator Ted Kennedy said that we are missing the opportunity to "decapitate Al Qaeda."
Everything that I've ever read about Al Qaeda stated that it was unique because it is structured in a way that makes it immune to decapitation.
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It doesn't exactly have a unique structure going by the news reports and articles I've read? It's been reported as having a similar organizational structure to the IRA (Irish Republican Army, a N. Ireland terrorist group), in that it uses "cells". The "cell" structure was used in the IRA so each person is insulated and only ever deals with a small group of people. That way if they are arrested, captured, defect etc., then they only know or were exposed to minimal information on a need-to-know basis for them. Consequently, the wider group remains unthreatened; that's the theory anyway.
I'd understood difficulties with tackling Al-Qaeda stem from a combination of that, and the quasi-global nature of their operations, use of technology on a level probably hitherto unseen by terrorist groups (Internet, encryption, satellite telephones, video), and vast resources of funding through impenetrable networks off offshore accounts, laundered money and investments.
The problem is that it's difficult to know the extent to which it is 'immune' since agencies generally don't discuss Intelligence; for obvious and sensible reasons.
However, hopefully the currently ongoing four day
anti-terrorism conference shall help Intelligence agencies to pool resources to better protect against and counter the threat. I didn't hear the speech but I imagine it's a regular political speak reminding his public that he intends to be hard on terrorism - something that's important to them (and all of us).
Decapitating Al Qaeda
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