bandwagon

Jason Burke spent years investigating these groups on the ground, (as did Kippel). If we can’t believe what he says about it we might as well throw animal bones in the air or use Tarot cards.



By Muslims I meant "ordinary muslims", who, unlike OBL et al, more readily view all Sunni/Shiite as part of the umma Perpetuated rather than formed, otherwise I agree.

Zawahiri published his book in Dec 2001, 2months after the US entered Afghanistan, most of it written before 9/11. I guess you could argue that he wrote that stuff to cover himself, to make it seem any military reaction was all part of the plan, and that he hadn’t thought of it at the time the WTC attacks were conceived. But is possible he wanted and planned to recreate 80s Afghanistan, -which he consequently got in Iraq.

bandwagon

Al Q attacked endlessly? Nah. When?
80s Lebanon?- that was all Hizbullah.
93 WTC? was Ramzi Yousef, professional psycho-terrorist, freelance “fighter for Palestine”, plotted with Rahman (ex Egyptian Islamic Group), - but Yousef was no fundamentalist himself even though he had associated with Muslim Brothers in the past and had been through camp.
Khobar Towers? –Hizbullah, sponsored by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

E. African embassies 1998, US Cole 2000. Finally Al Q, following the formation of the new OBL–Zawahiri group (Islamic Front for Jihad against Jews and Crusaders). If there was a master plan it would have been formulated at when this group was formed.

Before then OBL had busied himself sponsoring individual autonomous terror groups anywhere who had local objectives only in the name of radical Islam, many of whom had been through Afghan training camps in the past. (We now refer to these cells part of AQ, even if they were shortlived, but they did not think they were part of a larger organisation themselves at the time).

Anon

I keep getting this one...



Seriously, plenty of authors are quite wrong in their conclusions. Whether this guy is or not, i do not know, i simply do not agree with his conclusions based on everything else i do know based on what i've read by other authors.

Here's what i think.

I think the lot of them sat and conspired in dark circles masturbating to the thought of a global war with the US, and the rise of a new global muslim caliphate. I likewise think that to most of them, it was just 'campfire' talk.

One of those "Be careful what you wish for" situations.

Let's face it, had we not screwed up in Tora Bora, they'd probably both be dead(or at least OBL, not sure were Zawahiri was then). They know that too. 9-11 was an over-reach, just as was Pearl Harbor.

gunnut

Somalia in 1993 was AlQ operation. They admitted to inciting the crowd to attack US military.

__________________
"Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

Ray

Snipe,

Seriously, when did you last visit the psychiatrist?

So f-ing true - the benevolent Empire!

Crushing the Soviets was a big mistake.

You now have to search the woodwork for which worm to smash and some worms are getting very slippery allowing OBL and AQ a free run.

__________________


"Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

HAKUNA MATATA

gunnut

I knew I was right!!! I've been telling peopel that I miss the Cold War for the last 10 years.

Anon

They certainly were there providing arms and some training.

Al Q was definitely working behind the scenes against us in Somalia.

Who could blame them, how dare we try to feed and protect the Somali people!?!?!?!?!?

Anon

In the Army.

I think it is. No way the Nazis, Romans, Persians, Mongols, or whoever else would ever put up with what the "US Empire" does.

I don't think so. I admit sometimes i 'wish' they Sovs were still around keeping their ex-puppets in line, but alas...

At least these worms are not pointing 10,000 thermonuclear weapons at my nation. Or at least not yet....