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| Europe |
| French expert sez politics in the key to defeating jihadis |
| 2005-07-25 |
| The recent terrorist attacks in London and Egypt have plunged the world into a state of "permananent conflict" against a Islamist "globalised guerrilla" whose ultimate defeat hinges on the spread of democracy in the Arab world and a peaceful resolution to the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya and the Palestinian territories. "The conflict is a global one because the organisations that use al-Qaeda as their reference point, apply the concept of international jihad," says Dominique Thomas, a Paris-based Islamic terrorism expert, and author of several essays and books on Islamic radicalism. Thomas, speaking to Adnkronos International (AKI) following Saturday's deadly bombings at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, attributes the development of the "international jihad" strategy to a top al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Egyptian born al-Zawahiri, considered to be Osama bin Laden's right-hand man, developed the strategy as a two-pronged approach. "On the one hand attacks target the 'nearby enemy', that is the Arab states whose political power al-Qaeda considers illegitimate; on the other hand the target is the West, with the aim to drive it out of Iraq and Afghanistan and to halt its support of Israel" Thomas explained. While many of the jihadist groups look to al-Qaeda for inspiration, "they lack a unitary political direction," says Thomas. But, he adds, they do have a distinct advantage that makes them difficult to combat: "They don't regard a single territory as their battlefield. The attacks can, and in fact do, occur anywhere. It's difficult if not impossible to predict where the next strike will take place. That's the strength of al-Qaeda." Despite this glum outlook, Thomas believes that the jihadists can be vanquished, but it will take time. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #4 It's also difficult to predict where our SSBN's will strike. Re JFM's fine comment, IIRC correctly the Eisenhower Museum's oral history collection contains a tape by a German officer captured in the Normandy campiagn. The officer recalls having asked his interrogator why the US is making war on Germany, to which the American interrogator replied, "To free you from the fantastic [in the German sense] idea that you are a race of supermen." |
| Posted by: Matt 2005-07-25 12:40 |
| #3 "It's difficult if not impossible to predict where the next strike will take place." Duh! That's why waiting around to react to attacks is a loser's strategy (a la fighting terrorists with "law enforcement"). Invade Syria now. |
| Posted by: Hyper 2005-07-25 12:33 |
| #2 whose ultimate defeat hinges... peaceful resolution to the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya and the Palestinian territories. A nice example of appeasement at work: we have to give Muslims what they want so they let us alone. Sorry but the key in terrorism is the perception of the Muslim (and specially the Arab) as a superior man entitled to others having to bow before him, entitled to do what he wants to lesser beings. It is this concept who explains Muslims indifference to say the Sudanese problem (it is only Christians and Blacks) or to atrocities perpetrated by Muslims against other Muslims, along with seething when the infidels dare to fight back (cf the reaction when America fought back after 9/11) or retake land who once was Muslim (Israel, East Timor or even Spain). Rushing to solve the Palestinian or Tchetchnyan problems (specially if it is solven in their favour) without asking them to first punish the criminals/indemnify the victims/give back the stolen lands in Soudan, Kenya, Thailand and even Kurdistan (as an example of first class Muslims ie Arabs predating on third class Muslims ie Kurds) would only strnegthen the basic postulate of Muslim as an ubermensch entitled to jihad on the infidels. Just like when a child picks a tantrum and the correct response is NOT giving him what he wants even if he was entitled to it, the correct response to a Beslan is to make clear that the Tchechnyans will get less than what they would have got without it. (1) And that the harrassing of Non-Muslim populations alongside the "border" has to stop befotre we even consider teh problems of Muslims. (1) At tyhe beginning of the Korea negotiations the Norks had the standard practice of launching a massive attack on American positions on the day they knew they would be negotiated then accuse the Americans of lying about holding the position. It worked once or perhaps twice then the Americans adopted as a standard practice not merely of repelling teh attack (they were no longrer surprised) but to advance for one mile as punishement. |
| Posted by: JFM 2005-07-25 11:38 |
| #1 Leave it to a Parisian to advocate surrender. |
| Posted by: Raj 2005-07-25 11:04 |