13:30 – 16:30 Masterclass B: Fourth-Generation Warfare, Terrorism, and the Internet: A Convergence of Means and Ends
As warfare between states is gradually superseded by warfare between governments and non-state actors, the nature of warfare itself is changing. More and more, modern warfare is a struggle for hearts and minds rather than a battle for physical dominance. This new form of conflict, commonly referred to as "Fourth-Generation Warfare" or 4GW, is defined by its emphasis on perception and psychology, pitting non-state actors against traditional nation-states, with news media and other information channels as the primary battleground. The Worldwide Web, in particular, has shifted the advantage in 4GW from state to non-state actor.
The Global Jihad is the quintessential Fourth Generation conflict, but other examples can be found in Iraq, Chechnya, and the Middle East. This workshop will focus on the dilemmas facing governments and security forces in the fight for the “high ground” in asymmetric conflicts, with a special emphasis on the World Wide Web as both battlefield and weapon. Case studies from recent conflicts will be used to illustrate the concrete dilemmas facing democracies, which must hold themselves to different standards than those of their non-state adversaries.
Under such constraints, is it possible for a democracy to win a Fourth Generation conflict? This workshop aims at arming participants with the basis for a definitive “yes”!
This workshop will provide:
a) An overview of the internet as a tool for intelligence gathering and cyberespionage,
and information operations
b) A look at the strategic side of low-intensity conflict and the dilemmas facing
democracies
c) Participants will then carry out a brief red-teaming exercise aimed at combining
the technical advantage of the state against the organizational advantage of nonstate
actors in cyberspace
d) A round-table discussion will summarise lessons learned from the exercise, and
areas for future inquiry
Led by:
Yael Shahar
Director, Database Project Institute for Counter-Terrorism
IDC Herzliya
Yael Shahar heads ICT’s database project. She designed the ICT terrorist connections database and the terrorist incidents database, used for tracking links between terrorist individuals, front companies, and organizations. Ms. Shahar specializes in the study of technological trends as applied to terrorism and intelligence sharing. She lectures on terrorism trends, non-conventional terrorism, and threat assessment at the International Policy Institute for Counter Terrorism, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, as well as security conferences and seminars worldwide. She served as a reservist in the IDF hostage rescue unit, and as a sniper in Israel’s Border Guard “Matmid” units.
Don Radlauer
Associate, Database Project Institute for Counter-Terrorism
IDC Herzliya
Don Radlauer became an Associate of the Institute for Counter-Terrorism in October 2001. He has published a number of articles and analyses for the Institute, including a much-cited overview of suspicious stock trading prior to the September 11 attacks in the United States. A trained pilot, he also carried out a “pilot’s view” analysis of the September 11 hijackings. Mr. Radlauer has also written and lectured internationally on Fourth-Generation Warfare strategy, threat assessment, and Internet-based radicalization.