John Arquilla: It seems that a new "Mumbai model" of swarming, smaller-scale terrorist violence is emerging. But the fact is that Al Qaeda and its affiliates have been using these sorts of swarm tactics for several years. Americans should brace for a coming swarm. Yes, the swarm will be heading our way, too. We need to get smaller, closer and quicker. The sooner the better.
Arquilla from the archive: We are trying to wage war as if it still mattered that our forces are comprised of ‘the few and the large' -- a few large heavy divisions, a few large aircraft carrier battle groups -- when in fact war is migrating into the hands of the many and the small -- little distributed units. We live in an era when technology has expanded the destructive power of a small group and the individual beyond our imaginations.
Another Arquilla, from right after 9/11: To win the war against terrorism, we have to think like a street gang, swarm like a soccer team, and communicate like Wal-Mart.
Finally: In the long run, the "swarming" that really counts is the wide-scale mobilization of the global public.
The Coming Swarm | 
