And then there is the perennial contention of critics that carriers concentrate too much capability in a handful of vulnerable, high-value targets.

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The high-value targets in big data are invariably human: highly adaptive adversaries such as terrorists and cybercriminals whose ingenuity frustrates even the most advanced algorithms.

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As Iraqi forces take responsibility for more of their own territory, coalition forces can concentrate on training Iraqis and hunting down high-value targets, like the terrorist Zarqawi and his associates.

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Another is success: high-value targets have become rare.

ECONOMIST: Jihadist terrorism