The lines between the Police and the Armed Forces get blurrier

It's been happening for quite a while already.

The Police looked mainly looked at issues within the country, and concentrate on smaller groups like companies, individuals, etc.

The Armed Forces mainly looked at issues outside the country, and dealt with countries and states.

But look at the threats facing countries now. International terrorism, transnational piracy, internet crimes, etc.

Generally, the armed forces are "infringing" into policing duties, more so than the other way round. This has significant consequences on the threats above. opswarfare's personal view is that a policing mindset is more suitable for such threats.

The concepts of counter-insurgency sound more similar to a police force, than an army. Instead of using new methods to counter terrorists, perhaps using different tools can also be considered.

Upping the ante via multiple attacks

NYT
The militants are taking the initiative by bringing the fight to the urban areas, and deliberately targeting defence/security locations. They then up the ante by conducting multiple concurrent attacks. Sadly, it is all working for them, and the Pakistani armed forces are clearly struggling. Spillover effects are likely in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Pakistan gunmen 'take hostages'

BBC NEWS
The attack (and subsequent hostage taking) on the Pakistan military headquarters indicates a new tactic to spread fear among the population. It also showcases a deliberate attempt to select prominent targets which will attract media coverage. This attack follows another recent attack on United Nations (UN) offices in Islamabad on 5th October 2009. The security situation in the AfPak region deteriorates while the world remains unsure of how to resolve this dilemma.

Note: It's strange to see a deliberate refocus by opswarfare be overtaken by world events. opswarfare continues to collect open-source information on the situation in Mindanao and southern Thailand, but will not hesitate to highlight pertinent military issues.

PBS Frontline - Obama's War

Just watching the first 5 minutes was enough to make my eyes water. Even though opswarfare has previously stated a desire to look beyond the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is tough to ignore the 600-pound gorilla in the room...