Insurgent Video Targets Blackwater

[SteveMetz]

"Insurgents have put together hundreds of propaganda videos ranting about how oh-so-terrible the American troops in Iraq are. But this is the first flick I've seen that directly and exclusively targets the private military contractors like Blackwater that have become a hallmark of the Iraq occupation...."


Danger Room

[Ron Humphrey]

"Insurgents have put together hundreds of propaganda videos ranting about how oh-so-terrible the American troops in Iraq are. But this is the first flick I've seen that directly and exclusively targets the private military contractors like Blackwater that have become a hallmark of the Iraq occupation...."


Danger Room

Thanks for the link.

I notice they cited your parameters piece as well.
Double Bonus

[Ranger94]

Learning about the enemy is always a good thing. Is this the editorial goal?

[SteveMetz]

I interpreted it as showing the adaptability of the insurgents, particularly in the vital psychological battlespace, and the multidimensionality of contemporary, "post Galula," insurgency.

[Stan]

I completely agree, and in addition to the desired psychological (after)affect, it should be an up-close and personal reminder of just how carefully the 2004 assault on Blackwater employees was planned. If you recall the 2004 reports (I think it was CNN), there was also evidence of satellite imagery used to map out the insurgent's attack route on Blackwater's folks.

As Steve points out in Parameters, the insurgents are engaging the international media ("fourth forces") to get their psychological messages out. And, as luck would have it, the journalists ate it up, hook, line and sinker

[ODB]

I think this is another perfect example of how we are losing the I/O battle. The question is how do we gain the upper hand and maintain it in today's I/O environment?

[SteveMetz]

I think this is another perfect example of how we are losing the I/O battle. The question is how do we gain the upper hand and maintain it in today's I/O environment?

I don't think we can win away games.

[Ron Humphrey]

I think this is another perfect example of how we are losing the I/O battle. The question is how do we gain the upper hand and maintain it in today's I/O environment?

I don't think we can win away games.

Just depends on who we have workin with us.

Not sure I've seen anything from AQ or others which comes anywhere close to making Private Military Contractors look nearly as evil as these guys-

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/jericho/

[ODB]

I don't think we can win away games.

I wonder if we didn't have as much red tape could we have a fighting chance?

[SteveMetz]

I wonder if we didn't have as much red tape could we have a fighting chance?

IMO, wouldn't make much of a difference. No one can be consistently psychologically effective in a radically different culture.

[Ken White]

who might be able to help us have no real incentive to do so and several incentives to avoid helping us. Being the big kid on the block has its disadvantages -- nobody thinks you need help and most think you're a little too big for comfort.

I don't think most nations wish us harm but I do believe most have a vested interest, no matter how minor, in seeing us stub our toes. They may not throw a banana peel in front of us but they also won't waste effort telling us it's there or trying to pick it up.

Goes with the territory...

[marct]

I don't think most nations wish us harm but I do believe most have a vested interest, no matter how minor, in seeing us stub our toes. They may not throw a banana peel in front of us but they also won't waste effort telling us it's there or trying to pick it up.

Got to agree with that. Partly, I suspect, it's just self interest - "if the US fraks up then we'll do better and get better access to the resources" type thing. Another part, I suspect, is just sheer frustration of the "we've told them time and time again and they don't listen" type.

Goes with the territory...

Yup, it does .

[Ken White]

...Another part, I suspect, is just sheer frustration of the "we've told them time and time again and they don't listen" type.

and the fascinating thing is 'they' don't realize that we refuse to listen because we can see their track record in most spheres is not only no better than ours but in many cases is not nearly as good...

[marct]

and the fascinating thing is 'they' don't realize that we refuse to listen because we can see their track record in most spheres is not only no better than ours but in many cases is not nearly as good...

we could spill a lot of electrons debating that without ever coming to a consensus . And, at any rate, in a lot of cases the specifics don't matter - it's a case of "are you treating us as allies or clients?" Constantly disregarding advice, even if it is bad (), has a tendency for people to think that the country disregarding the advice is a) rrogant, and b) feels entitled to command other countries. Again, it's a case of diplomatic perception rather than any reality - after all, when did the French last win a counter-insurgency? The Albigensians?

[Ken White]

we could spill a lot of electrons debating that without ever coming to a consensus . And, at any rate, in a lot of cases the specifics don't matter - it's a case of "are you treating us as allies or clients?" Constantly disregarding advice, even if it is bad (), has a tendency for people to think that the country disregarding the advice is a) rrogant, and b) feels entitled to command other countries. Again, it's a case of diplomatic perception rather than any reality - after all, when did the French last win a counter-insurgency? The Albigensians?

On the former, I take no position on it one way or the other, I'm merely repeating the most common US complaint on the issue I've heard over the years. I suspect there's some merit in it. We certainly have spent (as did the USSR) a great deal of time in the last fifty plus years fretting over arbitrary lines drawn on maps by Spain, italy, France and the UK (among other things)...

On the latter true -- and we're certainly entirely too guilty of arrogance. Based on watching a lot of people in a lot of places over more years than I care to recall, I think that, too, goes with the territory...

[bluegreencody]

IMO, wouldn't make much of a difference. No one can be consistently psychologically effective in a radically different culture.

Especially with the history of colonization in the region, the history of racism/slavery in Western countries, and the nature of today's globalized liberal market economy...

[Ron Humphrey]

Especially with the history of colonization in the region, the history of racism/slavery in Western countries, and the nature of today's globalized liberal market economy...

are a little slow. Could you elaborate on what exactly that means

[bluegreencody]

are a little slow. Could you elaborate on what exactly that means

and I haven't observed these things as being a concern to this posting yet. Maybe these things are so obvious they don't need to be mentioned. It just seems to me that any conversation about how allies (or clients) see the U.S. needs to consider these issues... it is more helpful than just saying that we are arrogant, because it gives context to the situation. I don't think people around the world care if we brag, if we are arrogant, about going to the moon first, or even Mars (I don't know about Venus). The perception of arrogance wasn't created in a vacuum and I don't think it is a monolithic perception of the entire U.S. society.

[bluegreencody]

are a little slow. Could you elaborate on what exactly that means

Frantz Fanon's "Wretched of the Earth" is a perfect example of what I am talking about. However people feel about his evolutionary theory of violence, I don't think anybody can disagree that it is a powerful example of, what I will call, an insurgent perspective that integrates a particular anti-colonial, non-white view of history.
BTW, is this suggested or required reading in military training/schools?

[SteveMetz]

Frantz Fanon's "Wretched of the Earth" is a perfect example of what I am talking about. However people feel about his evolutionary theory of violence, I don't think anybody can disagree that it is a powerful example of, what I will call, an insurgent perspective that integrates a particular anti-colonial, non-white view of history.
BTW, is this suggested or required reading in military training/schools?

I've been known to quote him. But to put that in context, I just Googled my name "and idiot" and got 5,260 hits (many dealing with an email I wrote to an old Cuban saying that I didn't put Castro near the top of the security threats faced by the United States).