Army Lt. Gen. Barbero’ “security framework” for addressing the continuing threat of IED’s (Sunday Opinion - May 19, 2013) confirms we must accelerate our sacrifice of everyone’s privacy for the illusion of security.

With IED’s being our enemies primary, highly lethal, affordable and difficult to detect weapon -- their advantage becomes anonymity, global social networks and easy access to ordinary materials.

Mr. Barbero believes “our best counter…is a well-trained soldier” networking without differentiation “between overseas military operations and the homeland” and ignoring “self-inflicted statutory and bureaucratic challenges” that “impede” a “response…”.

Doesn’t he know he just declared everyone on earth a potential enemy and national borders and laws useless concepts? 

It appears he missed the Army memo that helped turn the tide in Iraq by making a profound change in the Army’s core mission.  It was the first change in over 200 years adding “stability building” to its original core missions of “offense” and “defense”.   General Barbero's tactics will effectively change the hearts and minds of those our soldiers encounter but it won’t change them for the better. 

We need more friends at home and in faraway places.  His ancient military mentality simply won’t be making many friends.  Preventing IED’s is job better left to a well-funded AID and United Nations humanitarian organizations (WFP, UNICEF, UNDP, WHO...)