As I wrestle with the concept of unlit spaces and the possibility of remedying them with Special Operations Forces, I think it will be helpful to figure out what is meant by an unlit space. What do we mean when we talk about unlit spaces. I have been looking at a couple of things. The concept itself is really not new. I think it is a continuation of other catch phrases that describe trouble spots. Fragile and failing states, ungoverned states, unlit spaces are a few catch phrases. We've all heard of fragile and failed states and have seen those indices that are published by various organizations. On the one hand they are interesting. On the other hand, I don't know how helpful they are to the overall discussion of future threats. What I mean by that is I am concerned about latching on to a phrase that describes a set of quantitative conditions at the time, but may not truly represent the threatening nature of that state. To understand the potential for threat in a region, I think we need to consider a lot more than just a catchy phrase that labels an area. So, I'll continue to refer to unlit spaces for the purpose of research, but I do so with caution.