Weekend Reading

This FindArticle.com site is going to be the death of me. The articles are generally at least a year old, but some of the topics are staying quite relevant.

Here's an article by Thomas X. Hammes titled Insurgency: modern warfare evolves into a fourth generation I may skip this one since I'm reading his book The Sling and the Stone.

Then there is Apocalyptic terrorism: the case for preventive action by Joseph McMillan.

The judicious use of decisive force against terrorists and their support structures is a vital component of the U.S. strategy to defeat global terrorism. Another component is the development of a consensus that terrorism is contrary to international norms of behavior. Achieving such a consensus will be possible only if the United States can convince the world community that the counterterrorist struggle is being conducted in accordance with these norms.

The United States, therefore, needs to articulate a strong case for the right of antiterrorist intervention based on three concepts adapted from international law:

* the classification of terrorists as the common enemy of humankind

* a renewed emphasis on sovereign responsibility as the corollary of sovereign rights

* application of the logic of the inherent right of self-defense to the realities of 21st-century terrorism.

Now tell me that doesn't sound interesting. (The geekWife need not comment, not that she has any time to read in any case.)