For those interested in the role of networks in contemporary warfare, Chris Wilson’s recent Searching for Saddam: A five-part series on how the U.S. military used social networking to capture the Iraqi dictator in Slate is worth reading. Wilson provides an accessible account of social network analysis and the manner in which interconnections can be mapped. His account of the construction of link diagrams to identify those that were harbouring Saddam after he had been deposed from power in 2003, resonates with much that has been written about the relationship of networks and contemporary warfare.
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Observations on ‘Collateral Murder’
Monday, April 12th, 2010NB: This video has graphic images of killing. Viewers should exercise discretion. You Tube recommends that the video is not viewed by anyone under the age of 18.
I’ve been away for a couple of weeks and so have not been able to respond to the wikileaks ‘Collateral murder‘ video.1 Like many others I was initially struck by the way the video exemplifies the contemporary intersection of video-gaming, spectacle and warfare. Indeed, the uncanny resonance of the footage with the ‘Death from above’ mission in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare seem to invite the viewer to draw uncomfortable parallels.
However, my colleague Kyle Grayson has an excellent commentary on ‘Collateral Murder’ that raises some other points that prompted me to think further about what this footage might tell us about the contemporary intersection of war and society.
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Tags: Collateral Murder, Iraq, Kyle Grayson, laws of war, Martin Shaw, rules of engagement, war, warfare
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