Finally saw a movie I've been dying to see because it was directed by Ridley Scott who's a master of such films and had two actors I really enjoy - Leonardo DiCaprio and Russel Crowe. The movie is called "Body of Lies".

The theme of the movie is very much in line with what you're talking about. DiCaprio is a CIA agent in the Mideast rooting out terrorists. He is controlled by the Washington bureaucrat played by Crowe who's meddling from afar and utilizing militaristic excess and diplomatic bullying to thwart DiCaprio's attempts at true in-the-trenches human intelligence. DiCaprio takes it upon himself to form a bond with the head of Jordanian intelligence. I can't go into details or I'll blow the plot but suffice it to say that the differences in the way the Jordanians go after terrorists compared to the shock and awe style of the Americans is not only striking but effective.

Of course it's Hollywood and real life is probably less of a stark contrast but it's a great study in the the tactics of terrorism and the necessity of understanding the culture of the people you're interacting with.

Art