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Terror Networks
The Al Qaeda Game Play - Islamic Caliphate in Seven Easy Steps
2005-08-12
Okay Infidels! Get Yur Game Plan Right Here, Just in Time for Football Season

Per Speigel

In the introduction, the Jordanian journalist writes, "I interviewed a whole range of al-Qaida members with different ideologies to get an idea of how the war between the terrorists and Washington would develop in the future." What he then describes between pages 202 and 213 is a scenario, proof both of the terrorists' blindness as well as their brutal single-mindedness. In seven phases the terror network hopes to establish an Islamic caliphate which the West will then be too weak to fight.

1. The First Phase Known as "
the awakening
" -- this has already been carried out and was supposed to have lasted from 2000 to 2003, or more precisely from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in New York and Washington to the fall of Baghdad in 2003. The aim of the attacks of 9/11 was to provoke the US into declaring war on the Islamic world and thereby "awakening" Muslims. "The first phase was judged by the strategists and masterminds behind al-Qaida as very successful," writes Hussein. "The battle field was opened up and the Americans and their allies became a closer and easier target." The terrorist network is also reported as being satisfied that its message can now be heard "everywhere."


2. The Second Phase "Opening Eyes" is, according to Hussein's definition, the period we are now in and should last until 2006. Hussein says the terrorists hope to make the western conspiracy aware of the "Islamic community." Hussein believes this is a phase in which al-Qaida wants an organization to develop into a movement. The network is banking on recruiting young men during this period. Iraq should become the center for all global operations, with an "army" set up there and bases established in other Arabic states.


3. The Third Phase This is described as "Arising and Standing Up" and should last from 2007 to 2010. "There will be a focus on Syria," prophesies Hussein, based on what his sources told him. The fighting cadres are supposedly already prepared and some are in Iraq. Attacks on Turkey and -- even more explosive -- in Israel are predicted. Al-Qaida's masterminds hope that attacks on Israel will help the terrorist group become a recognized organization. The author also believes that countries neighboring Iraq, such as Jordan, are also in danger.


4. The Fourth Phase Between 2010 and 2013, Hussein writes that al-Qaida will aim to bring about the collapse of the hated Arabic governments. The estimate is that "the creeping loss of the regimes' power will lead to a steady growth in strength within al-Qaida." At the same time attacks will be carried out against oil suppliers and the US economy will be targeted using cyber terrorism.


5. The Fifth Phase This will be the point at which an Islamic state, or caliphate, can be declared. The plan is that by this time, between 2013 and 2016, Western influence in the Islamic world will be so reduced and Israel weakened so much, that resistance will not be feared. Al-Qaida hopes that by then the Islamic state will be able to bring about a new world order.


6. The Sixth Phase Hussein believes that from 2016 onwards there will a period of "total confrontation." As soon as the caliphate has been declared the "Islamic army" it will instigate the "fight between the believers and the non-believers" which has so often been predicted by Osama bin Laden.


7. The Seventh Phase This final stage is described as "definitive victory." Hussein writes that in the terrorists' eyes, because the rest of the world will be so beaten down by the "one-and-a-half million Muslims," the caliphate will undoubtedly succeed. This phase should be completed by 2020, although the war shouldn't last longer than two years.

A Serious Plan?

But just how serious is this scenario? "Al-Qaida makes no compromises," says the book's author Fouad Hussein. He obviously believes that this seven-point plan could well become the guiding principle for a whole range of al-Qaida fighters. Hussein is far from an hysterical alarmist -- in fact he is seen as a serious journalist and his Zarqawi book is better than most of the reports in Arabic on the subject. Only last year, the journalist made a film which was received with great interest and was shown on the German-French TV channel arte. In it he provided deep insights into al-Qaida's internet propaganda machine.
Posted by:Captain America

#13  Yeah, the three step version is as follows:

1) Collect heads
2) ???
3) Prophet
Posted by: DMFD   2005-08-12 23:52  

#12  3. The Third Phase This is described as ... Al-Qaida's masterminds hope that attacks on Israel will help the terrorist group become a recognized organization.

Attacks on Israel? Yeah, right... Organization recognized for causing every arab capital to glow in the dark...
Posted by: BigEd   2005-08-12 19:09  

#11  I think Phase 2 is either:

"Accept billionaire trainee position."
-or-
"Receive check from John Beresford Tipton."
Posted by: .com   2005-08-12 19:05  

#10  the Wahhabis and Sunnis will be the sultanate princelings, the Shiites the seething majority doing all the work - all is at peace in the new Caliphate
Posted by: Frank G   2005-08-12 18:50  

#9  "I interviewed a whole range of al-Qaida members with different ideologies to get an idea of how the war between the terrorists and Washington would develop in the future."
I hope he learned that this is not just Washington's fight, but a struggle between all freedom loving people and the demons who are seeking world domination.

Also, I keep wondering about this Caliphate of one and one half million Muslims. That would mean that the Caliphate included both Shiites and Sunnis equally. But hasn't the 1300 year old animosity between the two sects been about which is the true Caliphate? Can the Shiites really expect to be included or will the 'Islamic Army' fight them as non-believers too?
Posted by: GK   2005-08-12 18:39  

#8  So, I should be preparing for worldwide Islamic rule in 15 years.

Right.

This resembles my plan to be a multimillionaire:

Phase 1: graduate and go out on my own

Phase 2: (details to be filled in later)

Phase 3: Wallow in my wealth

Posted by: Carl in N.H.   2005-08-12 18:25  

#7  I agree with liberalhawk. Nobody, and particularly not the jihadis, expected us to fare very well in Afghanistan. This whole fantasy was predicated on the US being caught in a quagmire like the Soviets.
Posted by: BH   2005-08-12 17:39  

#6  sorry OT whatever happened to all the plame/wilson stories? I haven't heard any Rove or Novak conspiracies in a while. Is the MSM quietly trying to let the issue go. I dunno, maybe Cindy Sheehan is more credible. I mean if Michael Moore is supporting her she's gotta be pretty legit.

Posted by: MACOFROMOC   2005-08-12 17:37  

#5  Well, if there are a bunch of Democrats and libs elected to office it will happen.
Posted by: mmurray821   2005-08-12 17:37  

#4  how about my one stage plan,
nuke the middle-east and forget about it.
Posted by: Viking   2005-08-12 17:25  

#3  Islamist fantasy.

The reality is that somewhere during this process the real "awakening" will happen and the men of the West will recognize the re-animate evil of Islamism.

How many terrorist attacks will we accept and how many restrictions on our freedoms will it take before we say: "Enough yet?" Once the populace of the West says "Enough!" then it will only be a matter of a relatively short time before the Caliphate and all the Islamist dreams are crushed under our heel.

Then... back to our private pursuits. Message to Islamists: Tug on the bulls testicles and you are going to get the horns.
Posted by: Leigh   2005-08-12 17:21  

#2  i call BS. This seems to assume that way back in 2000 they assumed that the US response to 9/11 would be an attack on Iraq, which gives AQ far too much prescience. I think its much more likely that they thought wed get trapped in a spiral of escalation in Afghanistan, like the Russians did. If THATS the case then idea that phase 3 would focus on Syria, Jordan and Turkey makes no sense.

I think that since November 2001, when things went offtrack for them in Afghanistan, theyve largely been playing by hear, trying to take advantage of targets of opportunity. This looks like an attempt to take the current situation, and make it look like a coherent strategy, rather than anything that was planned in 2000 or earlier.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2005-08-12 16:57  

#1  barkeep, plz place in this in the correct sprocket.
Posted by: Captain America   2005-08-12 16:50  

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