War throughout history has been fought on many fronts and cost countless lives. From the battlefield to the homefront, war has created havoc and taken a toll on our existence, both physically and psychologically. Empires have been won and lost on the strength of the most advanced weapons and skilled people who pursued victory in the face of death and destruction.
In our war on terror -- intensified by the attacks on New York City and the Pentagon on 9/11 -- our nation and its allies have battled an enemy with no fixed borders, or barriers or restrictions to its schemes.
In this new age of war, we must look for new ways to battle terrorism on new fronts. This includes cyber warfare, which the U.S. has been using in its fight against al-Qaida in Yemen.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that Strategic Counterterrorism Communications, housed at the State Department, has challenged extremists in open forums on the Internet, swapping al-Qaida ads on Yemeni websites detailing their deadly aims against Americans with items showing the impact of terrorism on the Yemeni people.
In response, "Extremists are publicly venting their frustration and asking supporters not to believe everything they read on the Internet," Clinton said.
Beyond these skirmishes in cyberspace, an attack via the Internet could cripple the infrastructure of a nation, as evinced by the recent infection of Iranian computers with the "Flame" virus. According to Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab ZAO, the virus could turn infected computers into "all-purpose spying machines," even able to "suck information out of nearby cellphones." It can activate a computer's audio systems to eavesdrop on conversations while taking screenshots, logging keystrokes and even stealing data from Bluetooth-enabled cellphones.
These sorts of attacks have the potential to reduce the risk of military and civilian casualties while affecting our enemies' capability to use computers and mobile devices. They focus on defeating the enemy through psychological and technological rather than physical means. In this digital age, when so much information and public opinion can be swayed by what is seen and heard on social networking and other websites, using these techniques could present a much more effective way to fight the war on terror.
And with the addition of other technologically advanced tools in our arsenal -- such as unmanned drones being used in Afghanistan and elsewhere -- the U.S. has the ability to maintain a leaner, more savvy fighting force. Its focus on stealth, rather than placing thousands of boots on the ground, makes the military more agile, with a heightened ability to follow and defeat our enemies wherever they may flee or hide.
Opinion
Use of cyber warfare can help reduce casualties
- Opinion
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Fed ammo theories show who is gullible
Ask 10 people for their thoughts on the National Rifle Association, and you'll likely get a broad range of responses. But on one point, we can all agree - if a threat to the Second Amendment appears, the NRA will find out about it and quickly spread the word. That's why it was nice to see the NRA last summer shoot down one of the more absurd rumors that's been making the rounds: that the federal Department of Homeland Security and other agencies are hoarding massive stockpiles of ammunition for secret, nefarious purposes.
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Natural gas boom is a false promise
Support for the Constitution and Leatherstocking Pipelines is based primarily on the false promise of affordable shale gas. False, since the price of this gas is too volatile to make it a reliable energy source in the future.
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Locally led baseball team deserves support
Springtime has finally come to us in the greater Oneonta area, with its warmth, sunshine, emerging shrubs, green lawns, with more smiles than frowns, and how we relish it!
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Schools must find ways to deal with threats
Anonymous threats to schools are nothing new. Through the years, they have consisted -- among other messages -- of anonymous phone calls, magazine or newspaper lettering glued to a letter, and scrawled warnings on a bathroom mirror.
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City should improve access to river
Many cities make the river running through it a focal point for its scenic qualities. By doing this, they attract more people to their city to spend some time there and also utilize the stores, restaurants and hotels.
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Otsego County veteran's director is top-notch
The veterans of Otsego County are being well-served by Jack Henson, director. I feel he is the best director that has ever served in this county.
- Tuesday, May 21, 2013
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On our Opinion: Cheers
To the DEP's "The Watershed Experience," the Oneonta High School Envirothon team, and to ROPS rebate funding.
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Make sure Blodgett project holds water
Many thanks to Dennis Finn and the Planning Commission for allowing unrestricted public comment on the Blodgett Drive housing project at the commission’s May 15 meeting. Most who spoke are residents of the area who know the safety and drainage issues well.
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We need a law against Google Glass
It’s a technological marvel; a product ahead of its time, or at least ahead of the law for the time being, that is.
- Monday, May 20, 2013
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Make sure you vote in school tax election
School superintendents have it anything but easy in these challenging economic times. In addition to dealing with myriad day-to-day and semester-to-semester issues, they have to have Solomon-like political acumen and management skills.
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No foreign aid until our needs are met
I couldn't agree more with Sal Furnari's letter published in the Weekend edition. I would also like to add that when I was growing up I was taught to "take care of my own first" and then share with others.
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THIS WEEK'S POLL
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It's sad to see Rich Murphy retire
It was a sad day for Otsego County when Rich Murphy announced his intention to retire from the county board at the end of his current term.
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Liberal media only care about themselves
Sounds like it all depends on 'whose ox is being gored' when it comes to the illegal phone tappings of reporters.
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Street Talk: May 20, 2013
Do you think that recent high school graduates have a harder time finding a job than previous generations?
- Saturday, May 18, 2013
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Casino in our area worth talking about
If Gov. Andrew Cuomo has his way, casinos will be awarded to three upstate locations.
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Public financing could cure pols' paranoia
Paranoia is an irrational fear of persons, places or events that have no basis in reality.
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Resort proposal is just too big
Belleayre Mountain Ski Center is a New York state taxpayer-owned recreational area. People who have paid for BMSC with their hard-earned dollars should not have to also pay for the infrastructure necessary to assure an enjoyable ski experience for the visitors to a private developer's monster mega-mall/spa resort on a mountaintop.
- Friday, May 17, 2013
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Take precautions to prevent kidnappings
It has been nearly two weeks since the arrest of Ariel Castro in Cleveland on rape and kidnapping charges for acts that should send a chill through the spines of everyone in America.
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Redistributing wealth just isn't fair
Yesterday a dozen of us were eating lunch in the break room where I work, most of us complaining that all we could afford was peanut butter and jelly and bologna ... except for Rob.
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Fed ammo theories show who is gullible
