ubiwar . conflict in n dimensions

Today’s essential reading: Lawrence Ampofo from the New Political Communications Unit is interviewed by the International Affairs Forum about his work on international terrorism and web technology. The NPCU blog should also be required reading for anyone with the slightest interest in media, technology and strategic communication. A short extract from the IAF interview:

… what we are seeing now is terrorist organizations able to use the file sharing tools of the Web to appeal to the MySpace generation by using video, audio and images to quickly and powerfully convey their message. Young people in particular are bombarded with emotive images and audio, highlighting the causes of these organizations. The answer to your question should combine the fact that logical arguments are fusing with new technologies to render contemporary terrorist organizations as an extremely difficult and resilient adversary.

Getting robots of war to act more naturally: researchers look to swarms and colonies - Faye Flam at The Philadelphia Enquirer [via Quality Leadership Weblog]

ShrinkWrapped tells us why the received wisdom that Israel-Palestine is the key conflict in the Middle East is probably a myth.

What Divides bin Laden’s “Jihad” from Serial Murder? - possibly not much, suggests Subadei.

Jihadists called brilliant, resilient by Glen E. Howard and Stephen Ulph of the Jamestown Foundation.

In amongst reams of newsprint and flying bits dealing with the entirely unnecessary Hoffman-Sageman handbags-at-dawn showdown I enjoyed this ‘tag team’ effort at Arabic Media Shack, What Makes an Expert? I’m too bored of the whole thing to comment myself, so I’ll continue to pass on links by people with no axes to grind or egos to massage.

Will Hartley breaks down General Sir Richard Dannatt’s speech earlier this week, Tomorrow’s Army, Today’s Challenges. Sounds like Dannatt’s been reading Generals Smith and Kiszely. Good thing too.

General Petraeus and the ‘Information War’ - Felix Gilette at the New York Observer on Petraeus’ skilful manipulation of the media [via MountainRunner].

The other day, I noticed the same commemorative blue plaque Spook86 did, where the first V-1 hit London on 13 June 1944. Spook tells the story of The Doodlebug Summer at In From The Cold.