I’ve rolled out an experimental monitor for Syria at syriamonitor.blogsofwar.com that streams live tweets on a few different aspects of this conflict. The monitor is designed for high-resolution widescreen displays with 1680×1050 probably being optimal. The categories are certain to change but it is currently streaming:

• Opposition Groups – Tweets about the Free Syrian Army and Syrian National Council
• Bashar al-Assad – Commentary on the President of Syria
• Homs – the Syrian city at the heart of the Syrian uprising and the site of much bloodshed
• Syria and Russia – Russia is a key supporter of the regime and an obstacle to any attempts to moderate Assad’s actions
• Syria and the UN – The United Nations producing “expressions of concern” at a furious pace
• Video – Links to videos related to, or shot in, Syria
• Photos – Tweeted photos from the uprising

There are certainly other aspects of the conflict which are not being isolated here such as Syria’s relationship with Turkey, the GCC, and other entities but this is a start and modifications will definitely occur. You can still get most of this information aggregated in the current production Syria monitor at http://syria.blogsofwar.com

Robot swarm in the battlespace may not be as far off as many think. Sure, many obstacles remain but we’re advancing at an amazing pace. Imagine these weaponized – with just enough intelligence and payload to find and kill a human target within a mile or two. The effect on battlefield tactics will be profound but it may have an even greater impact on policy. Going to war is only going to get easier – as long as the robots are on your side.