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2004-12-31 Arabia
Have the Saudis broken al-Qaida?
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Posted by Fred 2004-12-31 5:11:05 PM|| || Front Page|| [6 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 "so I'm trying to figure why we're not seeing more dramatic success..."

Nayef and the Mad Mullahs are still breathing? Just trying to help out... Stop hitting me! Help!
Posted by .com 2004-12-31 5:56:44 PM||   2004-12-31 5:56:44 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 I've been saying all along that intel is everything. And I know how military intel operations work, so I'm trying to figure why we're not seeing more dramatic success

Perhaps because Allawi and Co really are not on our side? That they're trying to appease their Ba'athist comrades in Syria and are playing back our agents? Just a hunch.
Posted by lex 2004-12-31 6:02:17 PM||   2004-12-31 6:02:17 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 It's a lot easier for the Sauds to track and kill Al Qaeda members - all they have to do is pull that Paymaster checkbook out and see who the stubs are made out to...
Posted by Frank G  2004-12-31 6:25:22 PM||   2004-12-31 6:25:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Yes, the sense is not much intel success in Sunniland. Allawi is a lame duck, which could explain a lack of visible effort. The buildup of at least a core counter-insurgency capability by the Iraq govt seems to be nowhere in sight, but maybe it wouldn't be visible anyway. A shiite-Kurdish govt might take the gloves off, but might prefer to seal off and isolate Sunniland.
Posted by HV 2004-12-31 6:40:14 PM||   2004-12-31 6:40:14 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 Have the Sods broken AQ? No...won't happen.

The Sods created AQ. The Sods fund AQ. The Sods train AQ. The Sods recruit AQ. The Sod's teach AQ. The Sods ARE AQ.
Posted by Mark Z.  2004-12-31 7:45:17 PM||   2004-12-31 7:45:17 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 Seems like every time AQ launches an attack INSIDE Saudi Arabia there is a rapid and effective counterattack somewhere on AQ. As #3 suggests, the KSA authorities likely have good intel on where to find some AQ at any time; when AQ breaks the rules and strikes in the Kingdom, some AQ leader pays the price. But just a few; just enough to try to keep AQ more motivated elsewhere than in KSA. Can't afford to expose their moles & need a scapegoat, so AQ and KSA continue their intermittently violent truce.
Posted by Glenmore  2004-12-31 10:27:21 PM||   2004-12-31 10:27:21 PM|| Front Page Top

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