STIGMERGIC LEARNING AND GLOBAL GUERRILLAS

Stigmergy is a term used in biology (from the work of french biologist Pierre-Paul Grasse) to describe environmental mechanisms for coordinating the work of independent actors (for example, ants use pheromones to create trails and people use weblog links to establish information paths, for others to follow). The term is derived from the greek words stigma ("sign") and ergon ("to act"). Stigmergy can be used as a mechanism to understand underlying patterns in swarming activity. As such, it can be applied to the understanding of swarming attacks by diverse bands of global guerrilla. The stigmergic information system that operates in Iraq is the bazaar of violence. A knowledge of stigmergy is a key to understanding how these groups learn.

Stigmergic systems use simple environmental signals to coordinate that actions of independent agents (each with their own decision making process). These signals are used to coordinate scalable, robust, and dynamic activity. This activity is often much more intelligent that the actions capable by the individual actors (in this case individual global guerrilla groups). There are four basic mechanisms of environmental coordination. They are:

• Marker-based. Markers or signs left by actors influence the action of other actors. In the GG (global guerrilla) context this is the site of an attack and the news of the attack that is delivered by the media. The description of the attack in the media is stigmergic marker for others to follow.
  
• Sematectonic. Environmental conditions influence the behavior of all actors in the system. For GGs, multiple attacks on a certain type of target can generate a security response by the nation-state that changes the potential of attacks against that type of target in the immediate future. An increased security presence for those types of targets is a sematectonic signal to select something else.
  
• Quantitative. The environmental signals are of a single scalable type. The size of a Global Guerrilla attack on a given location can meter the scale of the security response.
  
• Qualitative. The environmental signals are of a varied type that change the message based on their combination. Different types of attacks on the same target (the length of power outages in Baghdad) will yield information on the type of attack that is the most effective.

A deeper understanding of the stigmergic signaling between global guerrillas will enable the development of ways to disrupt their activity. The examples listed above are by no means exhaustive (I will include a longer list in my book on Global Guerrillas).

Comments

[Tom Grey]

I think dealing with ant scouts -- kill each and every one you see, so few or none get back to send the workers out.

Identity issues will likely be key; combined with intensive signaling monitoring (telephones first, then travel). The terrorists will have some more big victories coming.

[theglobalchinese]

Interesting, but nothing new, as Sun Zi already wrote in his art of war about stigmergic learning and guerilla tactics that later were implemented by Chairman Mao in his civil war against the Nationalists...

[Christian Martin]

Formerly a SGT in The US Army, I now have moved on to a new phase in my life. I am looking for work in the PMC market place. I was in the Army for eight years and was always in a tactical job. I deployed to OIF II and have training in the Arabic language and culture. I would like to go back to Iraq as a security liason or in security. I am a bit rusty with my Aribic language skills but will work hard to get back up to speed. I am available for work in this progressive field. Please contact me if you have any interest or advice. Thank You Christian Martin.

[Rainer]

Your Blog Is Very Good.

[P.E.]

Very interesting post. Would you some links to articles on Stigmergy or Stigmergic learning to know more? Thanks!

[sara]

Great summary! This is just such exciting stuff. There are so many reasons for nonprofits to blog that it's hard to boil them down to a few, but you've done a great job. The key to all of them -- the nugget of information I think all nonprofits should take away from your post -- is that a blog is about connecting very intimately with the unique audience you're trying to reach. It's so much more than a traditional website, which functions largely as a "billboard" for information. A blog is a place where you can create a community that centers on exactly the issues you want to discuss, with the people you want to have a discussion with. It's like throwing a big dinner party where all the people are interested in exactly the same conversation as you!

[docsharp01]

Excellent article and comments.
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