The Puppet Master 5GW is the small empowered group behind the scenes.
They use/discard/co-opt/create 4GW-ish orgs to further their own 5GW goals.
Targeted assassination may be used as a special skill of the small group) but it will be of the the type that appears to be Actor A attacked by Actor B (not the 5GW group), or of natural causes/accidents.
Usually, the Puppet Master 5GW will not employ direct kinetic tactics however.
The Puppet Master 5GW will look a bit like the classic conspiracy theory group, and I think that is where it starts.
The Puppet Master 5GW wants to achieve some effect (on their own or other states or groups) but need to maintain secrecy to avoid the power of 4GW/3GW/2GW groups. Any larger group would increase the chance of exposure and the cost of coordination.
Where it is different from the fictional portrayals, is that I think they will want to make many small actions instead of a big attention generating move. This will allow a bit of a feedback on the techniques used. Also, small actions will get noticed less and are easier to conceal.
They will be making a point of planting the seeds to foster conspiracy theory thinking in case somebody starts to notice them (deception/counter-surveillance skills will be a must).
This was the first concept of a 5GW group that I and others had.
In retrospect, I think this type of 5GW will be the hardest to execute and the least likely to succeed.
Update: I dropped a few words while typing late at night. They have been added back in.
Update: TDAXP has his comments here.
[This entry was cross posted to Dreaming 5GW]
Update: A.E. Excellent reply is at his blog. Here is an excerpt:
I do see a possibility of what PurpleSlog is outlining. An individual, given enough resources, could conduct operations behind a wall of deception and misinformation. False-flag attacks, dummy organizations, misinformation, proxies, and information war capabilities could create enough confusion to allow a disciplined actor to decisively shape world events.
However, I see it as very rare–the entry costs to such an effort could only be met by someone extremely wealthy, with an almost supernatural level of intelligence. I suppose it would work best for a state security agency.
The stealth aspect of it would not suit most guerrillas and terrorists. Driven by nationalism and religion, they wage a public war directed towards various audiences. While deception is part of this game, I don’t think the leader of a group like Al Qaeda would stand to sulk in the shadows, especially given that such groups derive political capital from the symbolism and charisma of their “emirs.” Still, it is a danger, especially as we move closer and closer to the world envisioned in Ghost in the Shell.
Updated other related:
Zenpundit on INTELLIGENCE, PUZZLES AND MYSTERIES:
Kent’s Imperative - Of puppeteers and 5GW:
An MSL style 5GW puppeteer need not be a world-spanning conglomerate of all forms evil – rather, one could small groups, alternatively competing and cooperating, across a range of tactical and operational effects.
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