Fighting Terrorism with Tactics from the Cold War

Subscribe to this Podcast:

Listen to/Watch entire show:

Legacy Player:

Osama bin Laden and other terrorists are harder to get close to than the Soviet leaders during the Cold War. US agencies want an increase in "soft power" to get inside the heads of extremists and potential recruits. We hear the pros and cons and ask if al Qaeda is running a better propaganda machine than the western alliance. Also, the Mayor of Detroit is charged with felony crimes, and the Olympic Torch is on its way to China, but not without protest. Will it make the summit of Mount Everest?

Banner image: A French protestor of the human rights group 'Reporters Without Borders' is carried away by plainclothes police as China's top Olympic organiser Liu Qi (R) addresses a speech during the lighting ceremony of the flame for Beijing's Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia. Photo: Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images

Making News

Detroit Mayor Indicted on Felony Charges ()

Kwame Kilpatrick is the first Mayor of Detroit charged with felony crimes while in office. He and his former chief of staff, Christine Beatty, were indicted this morning for perjury, obstruction of justice, conspiracy and misconduct in office. At a press conference today, Kilpatrick said he looks forward to "complete exoneration." Jim Schaefer is a reporter for the Detroit Free Press.

Guests:

Jim Schaefer: Reporter, Detroit Free Press

Main Topic

Terrorism and Cold War Tactics ()

During the Cold War, US intelligence struggled to penetrate the Kremlin, which ran the Soviet Union with an iron hand. Today's intelligence professionals say terrorist groups like al Qaeda pose an even more difficult challenge. True believers won't take bribes and scoff at threats of retaliation. So US military and intelligence agencies want to update another Cold War strategy: deterrence, using the Internet to sow confusion, dissent and distrust. Can language skills and cultural understanding separate moderate Muslims from the extremists? Are western policies the real problem? Is al Qaeda better at high-tech propaganda than the US and its allies?

Guests:

Bruce Hoffman: Professor of Security Studies, Georgetown University
Michael Scheuer: former Chief, CIA's Bin Laden Unit
Eric Schmitt: Pentagon Correspondent, New York Times
Ben Venzke: Chief Executive Officer, IntelCenter

Reporter's Notebook

The Torch Goes over the Mountain ()

China's worst fears were realized today when the Olympic flame couldn't be lit without disruption caused by the recent unrest in Tibet. At the lighting ceremony in Ancient Olympia, protesters evaded massive security to unfurl a banner showing the Olympic rings as handcuffs. A Tibetan woman covered in fake blood briefly blocked the path of the torchbearer. Phillip Hersh is Olympics sports reporter for the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times.

Guests:

Philip Hersh: Olympics Reporter, Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times

Search KCRW