NYT Catches on–Barely
“Al Qaeda Increasingly Reliant on Media” the New York Times headline reads–as if it were some kind of revelation, maybe to they NYT editors it is.
But for peope who actually understand terrorism, it is old news.
The target of an act of terrorism is rarely the physical victims. The true target is more often reporters, TV viewers and newspaper readers.
The goal of warfare has always been to get your opponent to change his political position.
In the past, force has been the final extension.
But now, small amounts of force of no strategic or tactical consequence can be amplified through moving pictures with sound and replicated like a fast food franchise to achieve what amounts to strategic mass.
Al Qaeda knows this so well, they have even formed their television production division named Al Sahab.
Al Qaeda in Iraq openly says they have media division to churn out propaganda.
This is old news to many, but startling to the NYT.