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| Terror Networks |
| Al-Qaeda's new warriors |
| 2002-11-02 |
| Most of the separatist movements in the Muslim world have over the past decade been taken over by Islamic hardliners. For instance, the Hezbullah in Lebanon, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad in Palestine, the Hezbul Mujahideen, the Lashkar-i-Taiba, the Jaish-i-Mohammed and many others fighting in Indian Kashmir, the RSM in Myanmar and the Moro Liberation Front in the Philippines. However, although the leaders of these groups sympathize with al-Qaeda and broadly agree with its program, they do not want to deviate too far from their main goals of bringing about change in their own regions. And, apart from Hezbullah, all of the above-mentioned organizations are funded to some extent by Saudi Arabia. Hezbullah receives its financing from Iran. By showing too much solidarity with bin Laden, then, these organizations would risk having their financial arteries severed. There's the solution to the entire War on Terror right there: sever those "financial arteries." That means both Iran and Soddy Arabia have to go. Since it's a matter of us or them, I'd much rather it be them. But while the leaders might think this, within the rank and file of the groups there are many who have been inspired by al-Qaeda, and they have taken over its fight, but in their own way. Al-Qaeda aims for US-specific targets, and not Western ones in general. However, this is not the message that has trickled down to local groups across the Muslim world, especially those who have not had training in al-Qaeda's camps in Afghanistan. The understanding of al-Qaeda's jihad for these local groups means the West, in general terms. At the same time, US targets are also not generally available to attack because of the high security that surrounds them. To Salafists, infidels are infidels, so the nationality is of merely tactical consideration. If the United States was to collapse tomorrow, they'd just move on to killing Brits, Frenchies, Germans, Dutchies, Swedes, and what have you. They've declared a religious war, and the fact that it's against us and Israel at this moment doesn't mean that in the next moment it's not going to include someone else. If the Americans were to collapse, think how much easier it would be to roll up the Euros... Militants embracing this broader concept of al-Qaeda's jihad are now joining together, such as the Rabitatul Mujahideen, an alliance formed by Indonesia's Jemaah Islamiyah to act as a central committee for leaders of the various militant groups in Southeast Asia, and which is spreading to South Asia. Others include dissidents within the Lashkar-i-Taiba, a Pakistani-based militant group that has been active in Indian-administered Kashmir, and another Pakistani militia, the Ansarul Islam. Their number one priority now is US and Western targets. Observers of al-Qaeda have long pointed out that the network has been obsessed with creating a situation in which the US would be drawn into conflict with Muslim countries, so as to generate a backlash among the Muslim world in general, which appears to be happening now, with elements within fundamentalist groups broadening their activities to stir fear in the Western world. The U.S. is refusing, at this point, to make it a "religious" war, despite the provocations by the Islamists. Bush has gone out of his way to make it something else, to the point of sounding mealy-mouthed. But making it a war against Salafism — which is a synonym for Soddy imperialism — would be a different matter. The rubes in turbans haven't followed the "khalifate" idea through to its logical conclusion: who is the most logical Khalif? Qazi, with his inbred Pashtuns, raving and spewing spittle? Bashir, with his slanty-eyed, mixed blood Indons? No, no! The khalif must be a pure-blooded Arab, from the Land of the Prophet! And who better than a Keeper of the Holy Mosque, by whose largesse and through whose wisdom the evil infidels are even now being fought in every corner of the world, yea, even in their native lands! Get the idea? And while there seems to be no strong hand of al-Qaeda in all of this, the climate of fear that is being created is exactly what the network would like until it again is in a position itself to execute another major strike against the US. That's assuming the network isn't dead, which if it's not now, it may soon be. It may well have outlived its usefulness to the Learned Elders of Islam, since jihad has become generic, rather than specific to a single group. Now that the ball is rolling, the kicker can be retired — perhaps even with prejudice, if there's a tactical advantage to be gained. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |