In this course we have discussed the importance of a network’s structure, and how a node’s position in that structure helps to determine the balance of power in that network.  This idea is demonstrated very well in the film The Battle of Algiers (1965).  In this film the French army is engaged in a guerilla-warfare type struggle with Muslim activists.  These activists were blowing up dance clubs and cafés, and the French army was unsure of how to respond to these attacks.  The French colonel, Colonel Mathieu describes the terrorists as a network in the following screenshots from the movie:

The Colonel provides a strategy for addressing the problem of the way the activist leaders have set up their network.  From a strategic standpoint setting the network up in this way is a great advantage for the Algerian activists.  Even if they are captured and tortured, no one in the organization knows the names of more than three other members.  This helps to limit the liability if any one member is caught.  Colonel Mathieu recognizes this problem and develops a plan to unravel the rebels’ network.  As the movie progresses he makes arrests and fills in the names of those captured on his chart, starting from the bottom and making his way up the pyramid.  In this way, even though each of the rebels only knows three other rebels, the Colonel is able to infiltrate their network and eventually capture their leader.

This movie from 1965 was relevant and controversial in its time, but in recent years it has drawn parallels to the situation in Iraq.  In 2003 officials from the Pentagon attended a screening of the video and participated in discussions regarding the movie.  Although the contents of these discussions are closed to the general public, one could theorize that these discussions centered on how the events depicted and lessons learned in the movie should impact U.S. policy in Iraq.  This event is discussed in the New York Times review at   http://www.rialtopictures.com/eyes_xtras/battle_times.html.  Identifying the setup of networks, especially within groups that a county is in conflict with is essential, and even more crucial is the ablility to identify the weaknesses within those networks to undermine their efforts against U.S. aims.

If you’d like to watch the clip for yourself, copy and paste the following address into your web-browser:

http://www.liketelevision.com/liketelevision/tuner.php?channel=955&format=movie&theme=guide

Click on the third listing for The Battle of Algiers (it is divided into five sections) and start at 16:26 in the video.