Ideas as weapons

"The United States has struggled to define its approach to what has been termed the "information battlefield" since the dawn of the information era. Yet with the outbreak of the war on terrorism, the United States is being violently challenged to take a position and react to militants' use of emerging information technology. Ideological demigods operating against the United States now have unprecedented channels by which to disseminate their message to those uncertain, sympathetic, or actively engaged in their philosophy. From the caves of southeastern Afghanistan to the streets of Baghdad,…