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Terrorist Trail: Backtracking the Foreign Fighter A review by J. Mark Hord January 31, 2007 © 2007 J. Mark Hord. Terrorist Trail: Backtracking the Foreign Fighter, by H. John Poole, Ray L. Smith (Foreword), Mike Leahy (Illustrator) Special to Defense and the National Interest Only a few military thinkers have given us the insight and practical help that John Poole has over the years. In Terrorist Trail, "Gunny" Poole provides the insight we need to win the war on terror. Poole helps us see that it is not so much a military problem or even a political problem as it is a law enforcement problem. The problems have no quick solutions such as bombing or killing as many insurgents as possible. It is a fourth-generation-war (4GW) that requires a 4GW solution.
In part 1, Poole organizes the case for reform by first describing the current recruiting grounds for terrorist organizations, especially in Africa. He traces the flow of insurgents from the African training grounds to the streets of Baghdad. He also calls to attention the Chinese influence so often ignored. In part 2, he provides a sweeping history of African insurgencies as a lesson for us today. Notable among those is a section on the famed Selous Scouts, who provide the great lesson of how to convert enemies to friends, an essential element in stopping the violence of terrorism and isolating the terrorist organizations that thrive on discontent. The lessons also illustrate the need for less technology-oriented solutions, such as man tracking skills. Part 3 provides lessons for the light-infantryman and small units for the challenges in man tracking in an urban environment and ends with an application of the book's concepts to the current situation in Iraq. The primary hurdle for such reform is, as so often, money. Light infantry police forces do not require the high-tech gadgets that so enamor the big military establishment and their supporting defense corporations. No amount of common sense will likely overcome those pressures on American politics. Yet the John Pooles of the world cannot, and hopefully will not, remain silent. Poole is one of the most innovative and creative thinkers to have served in the US military. He surely understands from experience that his observations will not likely create the revolution in military and political thinking required to bring about these changes. Yet, he is one more voice crying in the wilderness, and we can pray that his observations can be heard before long. His message from the heartfelt acknowledgement to the final page is one of great hope for the future. Get the book, recommend it to your congressman, share it with military people on your gift lists. Help spread the word any way you can; it is a serious matter that needs to be addressed and only with the clamor of a great crowd will it be heard. J. Mark Hord is a software engineer and 30-year student of irregular warfare history. He currently lives in Richmond, Missouri, where he enjoys reading history, writing, time with family and friends, and practicing Russian martial arts. You can contact Mark through or at his website, Stratiotes' Place. Also by J. Mark Hord on DNI:
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Fourth generation war is marked by non-national networked entities who provide too few targets for bombing to have any effect other than the effect of creating more recruits for their ranks. 4GW forces thrive on devastation and insecurity of the people; increasing the devastation and insecurity, as in with most military approaches, is counterproductive in that they do nothing more than create greenhouses for terror. What are needed, according to Poole, are small near-autonomous units of truly light infantry that can play the role of police force rather than occupiers in the greenhouses of terror. It requires a military paradigm shift away from centralized control and micromanagement much as the late