By Ahmed Rashid, in the Washington Post (free registration required):

Losing the War on Terror: Why Militants are Beating Technology Five Years After Sept. 11
In the five years since Sept. 11, the tactics and strategy of Islamic extremists fighting U.S. or NATO forces have improved dramatically. To a degree they could not approach five years ago, the extremists are successfully facing off against the overwhelming technological apparatus that modern armies can bring to bear against guerrillas. Islamic extremists are winning the war by not losing, and they are steadily expanding to create new battlefronts...
This short article contains a few hard truths that key decision makers should face up to - it also contains a few broad-brush negative generalizations that are patently false when the details are taken into consideration. Still, it is a quick read illustrative of a certain perception that is currently held by not a few people.