"We must have the capability to counter potential adversaries and we must be able to defend information, especially defence of the truth as the very lowest bar".
While officials said that Mr. Brennan has pushed for more resources to counter traditional adversaries like Russia and China, as well as newer threats like cyberwarfare, the agency's Counterterrorism Center, known as the CTC, remains a powerful force both inside the agency and on Capitol Hill.
He added that Centcom was working with "our coalition partners" to develop new techniques and tactics the US could use "to counter the adversary in the cyber domain".
To counter the adversary's use of the Internet, American cyberwarriors have hacked into extremist chat rooms to sow confusion, or to inject poisonous code to take down militant Web sites.
At the same time, the Bush administration should pursue a diplomatic strategy designed to promote space as a sanctuary from weapons attack even if it means forgoing some freedom to counter an adversary's satellites that might be used to target our forces in wartime.
Asymmetrical warfare is defined by the Defense Department as "countering an adversary's strengths by focusing on its weaknesses".
Drezner, who is well known for his witty treatise on Zombie theories of international relations, argues that a combination of re-engagement with allies and aggressive counter punching against adversaries comprises the Obama doctrine -- but that the Obama White House has failed to explain this strategy well at home or abroad.
He said his challenge was not only to improve the nation's defenses, but also to make them nimble enough to counter the unanticipated adversary.
In his evidence to the Senate committee, Gen Mattis said: "OEV seeks to disrupt recruitment and training of suicide bombers; deny safe havens for our adversaries; and counter extremist ideology and propaganda".
The online persona project is thought to fall under the domain of Operation Earnest Voice, which oversees Centcom's Information Operations, and in the words of Mattis, "seeks to disrupt recruitment and training of suicide bombers; deny safe havens for our adversaries; and counter extremist ideology and propaganda".
