Can Math Help in Terror War

Can Math Help in Terror War? 

Wired News reports on how order theory and data mining are being used in the global war on terrorism:

Theoretically, [mathematician] Jonathan Farley [of MIT] said, abstract math could help intelligence officers figure out the most efficient way to disable a terrorist network.

Say it's cheaper or more practical to go after a terrorist cell's "middle management" rather than its leadership. How many of those lieutenants would you have to remove in order to disrupt communication between the top dogs and the field operatives? Are there one or two key individuals whose capture would completely cut off the chain of command?

Order theory is all about such questions.

Fascinating stuff. And a cool tonic to any who are inclined to label the study of mathematics as "boring" or as having no practical application to "real life."