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Warning Analysis for the Information Age - Higgins Counterterrorism ...

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Again, more data means a better 6-D model which will be more interpretablegiven more data.On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand, <strong>the</strong> dimensionality of <strong>the</strong> data makes its interpretation problematic.But if <strong>the</strong> methodology <strong>for</strong> building <strong>the</strong> 6-D hierarchical model isstraight<strong>for</strong>ward, no matter how tedious it is, it will with persistence provide betterassessments.Reconstructing a Proliferation NetworkThe first step in using MDA to develop a 6-D model <strong>for</strong> a WMD program is toconstruct a rough flow chart or timeline <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> process to account <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong>required steps in assembling <strong>the</strong> weapon. For example, any nuclear weaponsprogram depends on <strong>the</strong> acquisition of fissionable materials, so any flow chart<strong>for</strong> a nuclear weapons program must include ei<strong>the</strong>r uranium enrichment or plutoniumrecycling from spent reactor fuel or alternative methods to buy or steal<strong>the</strong> purified elements.Once <strong>the</strong> basic timeline is roughed out, a postulated organizational chart isconstructed to account <strong>for</strong> all <strong>the</strong> technical, logistics, and operational skillsrequired to assemble <strong>the</strong> weapon. Again, <strong>the</strong> organization may do its ownresearch on WMD payloads or attempt to buy or steal components; <strong>the</strong> roughchart must account <strong>for</strong> all possibilities. Any intelligence that is currently availableis <strong>the</strong>n assessed and a very rough analysis is begun by ascribing individual “factoids”to a specific process on <strong>the</strong> timeline and/or <strong>the</strong> organization that is responsible<strong>for</strong> that process on <strong>the</strong> organization chart. The aim at this point is to be ableto link key personnel or key organizations with steps on <strong>the</strong> WMD timeline. Thetimeline will certainly have many gaps at this point. However, if only a few keyevents on <strong>the</strong> timeline and <strong>the</strong> associated personnel and organizations can beidentified, <strong>the</strong>se few entities can be used as seeds to begin to build <strong>the</strong> 6-D model.Once a few personnel and organizations have been identified, resumes or organizationalhistories are constructed on <strong>the</strong>m. Hopefully <strong>the</strong> timelines produced willidentify a few links in <strong>the</strong> overall timeline and organizational chart. Note thatmaps are not very helpful at this stage because <strong>the</strong> interactions found are likely tobe separated widely in both time and space.116

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