Tentacles of Jihad: Targeting Transnational Support Networks

Abstract

T he 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review Report begins with a statement of strategic clarity: " The United States is a nation engaged in what will be a long war. " 1 From the suburbs and cities of North America and Europe, to the deserts, jungles, and villages of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, the " long war " is indeed a global one that has been and will continue to be a challenge for the professionals tasked with waging it. This war is characterized by its transnational nature, and although our military forces are heavily engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan, we must be vigilant in our appreciation of the breadth and depth of the strategic battleground. One gets a sense of the magnitude of the challenge by examining the service and support mechanisms of al Qaeda and its progeny. The ways in which our enemies learn and adapt to pressure, as well as recruit followers and resupply combatants, offer important insights into the nature of the conflict. Using safe houses, smuggling rings, secured com-munications, and personnel who connect individuals to training and support networks, our enemies benefit from an interconnected global system that en-ables violent groups and handicaps intelligence and law enforcement agen-cies. The recent example of a Belgian woman traveling to Iraq to perform a suicide attack against a US military convoy is a case in point. 2 A convert to Is-lam, the woman typifies the growing threat facing Europe, America, and the nascent democracy in Iraq. Both the global jihadist movement and insurgent forces in Iraq utilize support networks that are best characterized by their mo-30 Parameters bility, flexibility, and fluidity. 3 Understanding and successfully targeting the service and support networks of terrorist groups is a prerequisite for success in the long war.