There's a phase that I've noticed, in the last several months in media reporting, when ever there is a bombing incident reported - the words
soft target is used as a descriptor. This incident in Brussels right now, is being described as a soft target?
Brussels Attacks 'Amateurish', Not Revenge for Abdeslam - Terrorism Expert
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160323/1036838455/brussels-attacks-terrorism-expert.html
The Brussels bomb attacks were "brought forward" and the terrorists used "softer targets" which were not revenge attacks for the capture of Europe's most wanted man, Salah Abdeslam, a terrorism expert has told Sputnik.
"I don't think it was a revenge attack for the arrest of Salah Abdeslam," Professor Paul Moorcraft said.
Salah Abdeslam was arrested in Brussels on suspicion of being a key member of the terrorist group who attacked Paris in November 2015.
"I think it was probably some of the leaders — who are very able and professional people — and often smarter than western intelligence officials, who decided that if Salah Abdeslam was singing like a canary, then they had to bring their attacks forward, that's why they had
softer targets."
"I think it looked a bit odd, pushing bombs in trolleys and one didn't go off.
"It looked amateurish, that's why I'm assuming it was brought forward," Professor Moorcraft told Sputnik.
The two blasts as Brussels' Zaventem airport, where an initial explosion took place near the American Airlines check-in counter, the second reportedly by the Brussels Airlines ticket counter,
shows how vulnerable the "soft side" of airports can be.
Following the September 11 attacks in the US in 2001, western security agencies appeared to prioritize protecting aircraft from bombings and hijackers, after check-in. However, the attack in the unsecured area of Zaventem airport raises problems for police and intelligence authorities on how such soft targets can be prevented from future attacks.
Professor Moorcraft, author of 'The Jihadist Threat: The Reconquest of the West' told Sputnik that an attack in London was "likely."
"Britain's intelligence officers are worried about a rolling Mumbai-style attack — or a dirty bomb," Professor Moorcraft said.
"Both require a fair amount of organization, although we're not controlling our borders — it's a bit more difficult to smuggle that amount of ammunition into Britain than across the border between France and Belgium — but Britain's intelligence services are ten years ahead than Belgium or France."
However, Professor Moorcraft cites cuts to the army and special branch forces means Britain is "really overstretched."
"I think we're doing quite well, I wouldn't over play it — but we have a real problem because when we cut the army, people forget that includes Special Forces and the SAS are also from the army, they're exhausted and burned out.
"Special branches haven't had weekends off for years, they're run ragged. We are really overstretched. The real problem is that we have lost control of our borders, we don't know who is leaving our country."
In an announcement in the House of Commons, Home Secretary Theresa May said: "The UK's threat level remains at severe, which means an attack is highly likely, we will remain vigilant and the public should remain alert, together we will defeat the terrorists."
The UK had increased border controls and screening and extra police had been drafted in at airports, railways and tube stations across the country.
Soft Target - in “Controlled chaos” as a tool of geopolitical struggle
https://southfront.org/controlled-chaos-as-a-tool-of-geopolitical-struggle/
Written by Prof.Dr. Vladimir Prav exclusively for SouthFront
Nowadays, a variety of means are being used in order to implement and extend the “controlled chaos” in the national economies and societies in the geopolitical struggle. The actor, who is using the tool, is maintaining the “controlled chaos” within the opposing country.
Steven Mann, the US foreign policy expert,
who took part in the developing of many of the current “controlled chaos” hotspots in various parts of the world, speaks openly of the need to use “increased level strongly-worded criticism”, and causing “controlled chaos” to secure and promote the US national interests. (Steven Man's bio listed.)
Upon graduating from the NDU in 1992, Mann wrote an article titled Chaos Theory and Strategic Thought // Parameters (US Army War College Quarterly, Vol. XXII, Autumn 1992, pp. 54-68). In this article, he lays out the following theses: “We can learn a lot if we view chaos and reorganization as opportunities, and not pursue stability as an illusory goal ... [...].
The main thought which flows from Mann’s thoughts is to bring the system into a state of “political criticality.” Then the system, given certain conditions, will unavoidably enter chaos and “transformation.” Mann also writes that “Give the US advantage in communications and growing global mobility capabilities, the virus (in the sense of an ideological infection) will be self-replicating and will expand chaotically. Therefore our national security will be preserved.” And further: “This is the only way to establish a long-term world order. If we cannot accomplish such an ideological change in the whole world, we will have only sporadic periods of calm between catastrophic transformations.” Mann’s words about “world order” are there for the sake of political correctness. Because his article speaks only of chaos which, judging by Mann’s words, will be the “best guarantee of US national security,” with only the US able to preserve itself as an “island of order” in an ocean of “controlled criticality” or global chaos.
According to the “theory”, dismantling of the already existing nation-states, traditional cultures, and civilizations can be accomplished by:
De-ideologizing the population
Dumping the “ballast” of the already existing values, and replacing them with one’s own set
Increasing material expectations, especially among the elite
Loss of control over the economy and its ultimate destruction
Unlawful actions by supposedly spontaneous movements which often have ethnic or religious character
Once implemented, these key policies lead to “color revolutions.”
“Controlled chaos” theory is based on reforming the mass consciousness, worldviews, and the spiritual sphere by subjecting individuals to modern means of manipulation. It amounts to a global psychological operation that is part of globalization and which destroys the culture of solidarity and replaces it with a cult of money and of Social-Darwinist stereotypes concerning the role of an individual in society. The masses’ ability to offer resistance through self-organization is thus diminished.
Given the effects of such technologies, the “controlled chaos” actors are pursuing two objectives:
1.Reducing the size of the population by eliminating those who are not of use to the architects of the new world order. Neoliberal reforms bring about a demographic catastrophe by reducing birth rates and increasing death rates. The sexual revolution, propaganda of hedonism, individualism, and consumerism reduce birth rates. Social-Darwinism and indifference to the suffering of close ones deprive people of their will to live and increase death rates. The large number of poor and homeless people amounts to a de-facto euthanasia mechanism, as people in these categories die quickly. Though more people are pulled down to replace them.
2.The objective of destroying a nation states that imposing control over them is intercepted by transnational corporations, crime syndicates, supranational organizations and institutions, which answer to those who employ controlled chaos technologies. This task combines “soft power” with barbaric military aggression (Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Libya). This process facilitates the aggressors’ control over the global financial, military, and information resources.
We should note that the US and the EU economies grow not by increasing their output but by reapportioning wealth between the strong and weak states. This is accomplished by weakening the nation-state (usually by drawing it into a debt trap), privatization, and buying up all manner of national assets, including natural ones.
Under the pressure of the financial institutions, the nation-state becomes a tool of this type of globalization by privatizing and reducing expenditures on social needs or on maintaining science and culture. States also organize mass illegal labor migrations which render individual workers much cheaper which deprives them of rights. In combination, the two tasks deprive the target state of its ability to function as an international actor. It is a covert way of eliminating economic competitors. The main symptoms of the loss of one’s sovereignty include the inability to perceive and interpret the situation, rise above it, assert one’s identity, and the ability to implement bold, breakthrough ideas.
As a result:
1.The state is no longer self-governing, it does not have a development strategy, and it cannot ensure decent living conditions for its citizens and guarantee constitutional rights.
2.Corrupt officials play a key role in controlling the economy and society.
3.The middle class is disappearing, it is being disorganized, and alienated.
4.Political parties and movements are mere facades.
5.Societal movements have no actual effect on politics.
6.Citizens are passive and have major identity problems (state, ethnic, family).
Let’s look at a few examples of controlled chaos implementation aimed at depriving foundations of national independence.
1. Neutralizing the drive to develop.
– Destruction of state policy apparatus by seeding it with agents of influence.
– Infection through corruption, promoting a cult of money.
– Government bureaucratization.
– Removing the scientific community from influencing the country’s policies.
– Mythmaking: “the market will fix everything.”
2. Blocking the reaction reflex
– Mass export of cult organizations.
– Use of political technologies in election campaigns.
– Transforming the media into market actors.
– Promoting a primitive mass culture.
3. Destroying communications links
– Individualization through neoliberalism, the atomization of society.
– Destroying community ties.
– Destroying transport networks.
– Promoting ethnic and religious conflicts.
– Class fragmentation into rich and poor class.
– Generational conflict.
4. Reducing the ability to influence events
– Use of manipulative techniques in election campaigns.
– Promoting neoliberal ideologies, such as individualism and atomization.
– Promoting the cult of money and a system of primitive values.
– Shutting down independent media.
– Promoting corruption and criminalization.
5. Reducing the ability to pursue development:
– Destroying domestic science and educational progress.
– Promoting deindustrialization through privatization, bankruptcy, and destruction of professional training system.
– Elimination of capital controls.
– Credit dependence on international financial systems.
– Inability to resist import dependence.
– Preventing the society’s active participation in the country’s development.
In conclusion:
1.The US is currently the main actor using “controlled chaos” tools with the aim of seizing control over a country or region and preventing it from pursuing its own development. Controlled chaos is de-facto neo-colonialism which transforms countries into resource suppliers to the First World. It entails predatory relations in trade and property acquisition.
2.Using controlled chaos technologies runs against international norms of non-interference in domestic affairs. It means there is a basis for banning and international monitoring over controlled chaos technologies. Over the last several decades, several countries were in favor of ensuring international information security through legal agreements, now they could also initiate similar actions in regard to controlled chaos technologies. 
