Dealing with the Iraqi insurgency

Scott Peterson has an excellent roundup of the state of the Iraqi insurgency in the Christian Science Monitor. Key paragraphs: Analysts say the insurgency can probably carry on for now with or without Mr. Zarqawi’s guiding hand, pointing to the high level of bloodshed that killed at least 13 more people Thursday. But it is ...

By , a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast.

Scott Peterson has an excellent roundup of the state of the Iraqi insurgency in the Christian Science Monitor. Key paragraphs:

Scott Peterson has an excellent roundup of the state of the Iraqi insurgency in the Christian Science Monitor. Key paragraphs:

Analysts say the insurgency can probably carry on for now with or without Mr. Zarqawi’s guiding hand, pointing to the high level of bloodshed that killed at least 13 more people Thursday. But it is under increasing pressure from numerous US offensives in western Iraq, the loss of two-dozen top lieutenants, and intelligence from Zarqawi’s captured computer. Iraq’s budding government is also tightening its grip, announcing Thursday that it would launch a new offensive with 40,000 troops and set up 600 checkpoints in Baghdad.

One other paragraph was interesting, going back to Virginia Postrel’s point about understanding the other:

[Magnus Ranstorp, head of the Center for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at St. Andrews University in Scotland] says that the most effective interrogators of Al Qaeda groups are masters of the theological debate. “They can point out wrong interpretations [of Islam] that further delegitimize what [militants] are trying to do.”

Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner

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