Center for a New American Security

This one comes via a Russian jihadist website:

Success in guerrilla warfare (the conduct of combat operations on territory occupied by the enemy) by the will of God largely depends on the help of the local population.

Успехи партизанской войны (ведение боевых действий на территории, оккупированной врагом), по воле Аллаха во многом зависят от помощи местного населения.

Note to the person who wrote this: blowing yourself up in the subways used by the local population is probably not the most effective way to gain their support. (Thanks, Dan.)

Jesus nuts. Charlie leaves for 5 days in sweet sweet Kauai and a goddamn war breaks out. (She'll admit that when she first heard Georgia was invaded, she thought Abu M himself had rounded up the Tennessee cousins and gone lookin' for a fight.)

There's obviously loads of news and analysis out there, but as we start to parse all of it--including its implications for the "future" of war--take a look at this primer by one of Charlie's most bizarrely knowledgeable friends, Mike Reynolds (a Caucusus expert fluent in Russian and Turkish). Today's asserted ceasefire makes it nearly OBE, but it's a great place to start.

More to come (including an explanation of why you see Marine MARPATs all over the media coverage).