Verbal Notes Newlsetter # 7
The Utility of Force, the Future of the UN, the Secret History of Jihad, and more...
Verbal Notes Newsletter # 7
Verbal Notes is now using Artificial Intelligence to provide access to notes on a wider selection of Books. When using these tools (ChatGPT, Elicit, Stable Diffusion, …) we select books and publications that could be particularly relevant, provide significant and focused prompts, and edit the text, combining the answers to multiple prompts in order enhance readability. When AI is used, it is duly reflected in the post.
These are some of the recent posts:
· L'Histoire secrète du Djihad (Books&More), is a long conversation between Lemine Ould Mohamed Salem, one of the best informed authors about jihadism in the Sahel, and Abou Hafs the Mauritanian, considered the Mufti of Al Qaida until his departure due to his disagreement with the murder of civilians. If offers the ultimate insider’s view on the development of these organizations, as well as the personality of Ben Laden. The Notes follow the original in French, scroll down for an English translation.
· The Utility of force, by General Rupert Smith (Books&More), a classical book (published in 2005) on how to use military force in a context where “wars amongst the people” are the prevailing model of conflict. The protection of Civilians, and the consistency between military actions and political objectives remain particularly relevant today.
· Links to Academic and Think Tank publications continue to be focused on the war in Gaza, with a very relevant reflection on its impact on the UN; Richard Gowan, from ICG, advocates for a more limited operational involvement in conflicts to ensure the preservation of its vital functions.
You can also check posts from all sections by tags, including on Foresight, the Sahel, Jihadism and Israel, among many others.
https://verbalnotes.substack.com/t/foresight
https://verbalnotes.substack.com/t/sahel
https://verbalnotes.substack.com/t/jihadism
https://verbalnotes.substack.com/t/israel
Happy reading!!