Questions posed to Dr. Richard Bloom - Terrorism Expert in Washington Post Q & A Session

In Washington Post there was a live Q & A session open for its readers in July 2011 where I have participated and asked more than couple questions to Dr. Richard Bloom (Terrorism Expert) . Thought I can record that here. Earlier I shared it on my Facebook time line .

ABOUT THE TOPIC
According to U.S. officials, al-Qaeda could be on the brink of collapse. Terrorism expert Richard Bloom answered your questions about the current state and future of al-Qaeda, as well as other terrorism organizations around the world.

MY QUESTION :
FUNDING
In the wake of binladen's absence and Zawihiri assuming the new role it apparently appears to a normal man like me that the business as-usual is not affected at all. For any such terror network to sustain the money is instrumental and it is understood that funds are flowing unaffected. What are the effective steps you still think the global power like US should take to make jihadis suffocate financially.

DR BLOOM’S ANSWER :
Unfortunately, financial suffocation is extremely unlikely. This has to do with the small amount of financial resources needed for successful terrorism and the limited even if increasingly sophisticated methods to identify financial sources and processes.

MY QUESTION :
PAKISTAN'S SANCTUARIES
It is an open secret that pakistan has the safest sanctuaries on the earth for the aspiring and residual Jihadis, as we know binladen could live safely for many years under the shelter of pakistani army/ISI. Is it not the right time to label ISI as a terrorist organization ? As we know the civilian government is simply a puppet.

DR BLOOM’S ANSWER :
Formally labeling ISI as terrorist may feel good and be accurate at last referring to one of its capabilities and to its history, but positive consequences for the U.S. would be unlikely.

MY QUESTION :
LADEN - GODLY FIGURE ?
What should the international community be doing to avoid the situation where laden is considered as a godly figure in many muslim countries. How should we educate them that he is not the saviour of islam but a mass murderer.

DR. RICHARD BLOOM :
A very good question. I believe he's a "godly" figure among fewer and fewer people. However, his history and image can be used for various terrorist pursuits. I do not think its prudent to use significant resources in an image-changing effort. I think more and more people are already buying into the mass murderer aspect. In turn, this does not mitigate the continuing threat from terrorism.

MY QUESTION :
TOP BRASS
As we know Alqueda is formation of the core group of some 30 members. Considering that US is successfull to kill or capture them dont you think that there is still a possibility of an important affiliate (like LET) succeeding that position ?

DR. RICHARD BLOOM :
We need to be careful not to be constrained by the usual ways of thinking about organizations when confronting terrorism. Whether so-called affiliates arise or not, terrorist ways of thinking, relevant technologies and inenuity in using technologies, and the increase and decrease in terrorist intent among various people will continue. Virtual terrorists joing others anonymously are one sort of increasing threat for the future.

There was another question asked by other participant based on my earlier question (Laden – Godly figure GODLY FIGURE)
Question - Regarding an earlier question about Bin Laden being seen as a godly figure by some. Isn't part of that due to the way the US picks just one guy to represent so much that we end up making person more than he really is? Seems with did with leader of Al Quida in Iraq also.

DR. RICHARD BLOOM :
The use of public communications and language and images to help create the "image of the other" can work both ways....to strengthen or weaken a terrorist threat. I beleive that the bin Laden image/figure constructed by US political leaders has not helped the counterterrorist effort. The coherent and systematic effort to use public communications against terrorism has been a significant US failure.

My Question :
ALQAEDA IN AP - AQAP
Awlaki has indeed been a night mare to US for quite some time. As he remains to be a very good preacher and has a good following in the internet space. How close is US in getting him.

DR. RICHARD BLOOM :
Based on my own analysis of public sources, there have been near misses and I believe significant efforts continue to be made to "neutralize" him either through killing or capture. On the other hand, public discsussions and images of this individual conveyed by some US political leaders have not helped the effort.

My Question :
SAFE HAVENS
The visible safe havens we know is somalia,pakistan,yemen,Afghanistan etc. Apart from these do you think there are any other sleeper cells which missed the US radar.

DR. RICHARD BLOOM :
I believe it is more useful to think not in terms of "sleeper cells" but in terms of geographically dispersed and online threats beyond the locations you mention. Given that there are psychological bases to terrorism, these psychologies may be anywhwre at any time--a difficult reality for counterterrorists.

MY QUESTION:
MILITARY AID
Do you think there is a co-relation (either positive or negative) between military funding to selective countries and decrease/increase in terrorism?

DR. RICHARD BLOOM :
I'm sure one could demonstrate some correlations both decreasing and increasing terrorism. Military funding is one of many foreign policy and national security tools...there are lessons learned of cases furthering and harming U.S. interest

Snowden & Spying : What Kautilya says ?

To a question whether Spying is wrong ? May be right, may be wrong ? It was always there though the latest sophisticated technologies have changed the way it is done. After Edward Snowden's episode we have a flurry of questions raised and circulated by the Leftists in the form of propaganda against their imaginary enemy Imperialist America. If all the countries have to remain like isolated islands with out any connection to the other geographies or the peoples of other nationality then reliance on this medium to ensure political stability at home is minimum because, in that case we may have to deal with only internal trouble makers for which spying is still indispensable.

Snowden is China's stooge ?

I thought America just resolved Anna Chapman episode and we had this Wikileaks now the Avalanche impact of Snowden's revelations. Just before Snowden's revelations US has been making a lot of noise about Chinese cyber attacks on its corporations and accused it of stealing trade secrets and intellectual property. It was never specific, no body was sure whether it was about to release more details. China may have many Snowdens deep inside the American Enterprise holding key positions in government and private enterprises they must be identified and eliminated, for they are rear annoyance as per Kautilya's Arthashastra. China used just one Snowden to shake the applecart slightly, there are many more to come ? If China is spying to steal trade secrets and intellectual property, US does it to secure democracy and peace for its citizens, the notoriety is there to judge for all of us. There are already reports surfacing about another US citizen a retired general leaking the details on Stuxnet Virus, so there is a lot of crisis ahead for US.

Kautilya's's take on Spies in his Arthashastra :

The legendary Kautilya - senior advisor in Mauryan administration who toppled the powerful Nandas from throne in his Arthashastra talks in detail about Spies.

In chapter III of Book IX - The work of an Invader he talks about the internal and external troubles a state could face and which should be dealt with on a priority basis.

OF the two things, slight annoyance in the rear, and considerable profit in the front, slight annoyance in the rear is more serious; for traitors, enemies, and wild tribes augment on all sides the slight annoyance which one may have in the rear. The members of one's own state may be provoked about the acquisition of considerable profit in the front.

Slight annoyance in the rear he refers to the internal troubles or unknown/known enemies internally, is more serious than known external enemies. So that must be looked up in to first before. And further he defines what is an internal enemy or a rear annoyance.

The provocation of any one of the minister, the priest, the commander-in-chief, and the heir-apparent is what is termed internal trouble.

And explains what to do about it - the phenomena of Internal enemy

The king should get rid of such an internal enemy either by giving up his own fault or by pointing out the danger arising from an external enemy

The above statement has two aspects getting rid of such an internal enemy and convincing him by telling him the danger of an external enemy or giving himself up, though we may not have consensus on using these two solutions but we might agree on one thing ie., to get rid of him. Making sure that he is ridden with out flouting the principles of modern day justice is indeed a challenging task. I am sure Americans can innovate.

The focus should be to expose China's theft, one at a time, I think it is already started. China stealing an American company's Turbine Software ?

My comment on "" The Quixote, er, Magnitsky Act Kicks In "" by Jay Ulfelder

My comment on "" The Quixote, er, Magnitsky Act Kicks In "" by Jay Ulfelder
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I think time has come for both the dwindling juggernauts to think that collectively did they do any good to this world? It is always a zero sum game when it comes to Russia V/S US. If we have to understand that it is always about capitalism fighting communism or vice versa why the situation has not been improved. I agree that for Russia it is a way to go for democratizing many things. But If US has to claim that it has the moral authority to push its style of democracy, openness and liberalism etc., It should not chery pick Russia alone but it must risk it doing with Islamic countries for whom even semblance of democracy is too remote and foreign to accept.

I always feel that for super powers there are always two choices, National Interest and Global Interest, and they must strike a balance between them without a over emphasis on any one thing. The term National Interest means at times anti others which will directly take a toll on Global Interest. Britain has to go down the annuls and is no more a super power because it treated everybody else as just resources with no respect for other’s right to lead a dignified life. Only those leaders who had the ability to harmonize these two conflicting terms could take the human race forward. Woodrow Wilson succeeded to an extent and I think no one else has met the bench mark he has set. And the current leaders of both these countries (US,Russia) have kept the Global Interest in aloof and fueled the rivalries. Suddenly it seemed that the whole US campaign of Reset with Russia was a bluff.

Should I thank the God? May be yes. For giving us the Nuclear weapons, thereby avoiding a third World War? Time to think rationally for both US & Russia and prove Herbert Simon wrong.

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