Arab world wants democracy, may upset Qaeda agenda
Source: Indian express
For nearly two decades, the leaders of al-Qaeda have denounced the Arab world's dictators as heretics and puppets of the West and called for their downfall. Now, people in country after country have risen to topple their leaders — and al-Qaeda has played absolutely no role.
For nearly two decades, the leaders of al-Qaeda have denounced the Arab world's dictators as heretics and puppets of the West and called for their downfall. Now, people in country after country have risen to topple their leaders — and al-Qaeda has played absolutely no role.
In fact, the motley opposition movements that have proved so powerful have shunned the two central tenets of the Qaeda credo: murderous violence and religious fanaticism. The demonstrators have used force defensively, treated Islam as an afterthought and embraced democracy, which is anathema to Osama bin Laden and his followers.
So for al-Qaeda — and perhaps no less for the US policies that have been built around its threat — the democratic revolutions that have gripped the world's attention present a crossroads. Will the terrorist network shrivel slowly to irrelevance? Or will it find a way to exploit the chaos produced by upheaval?
For many specialists on terrorism and West Asia, though not all, the past few weeks have the makings of an epochal disaster for al-Qaeda, making the jihadists look like ineffectual bystanders to history while offering young Muslims an appealing alternative to terrorism.
"So far — and I emphasise so far — the score card looks pretty terrible for al-Qaeda," said Paul R Pillar, who studied terrorism for nearly three decades at the CIA . "Democracy is bad news for terrorists."
Osama's deputy Ayman al-Zawahri has issued rambling statements from his hide-out in the Af-Pak border region. "Knocking off Mubarak has been Zawahri's goal for over 20 years, and he was unable to do it," said Brian Fishman, a terrorism expert. "Now a nonviolent, nonreligious, pro-democracy movement got rid of him."
However, there is evidence that the uprisings have enthralled some jihadists. One Algerian man with al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb, network's North African affiliate, welcomed uprisings saying militants were returning from exile to join the battle in Libya.
IndianExpress
So for al-Qaeda — and perhaps no less for the US policies that have been built around its threat — the democratic revolutions that have gripped the world's attention present a crossroads. Will the terrorist network shrivel slowly to irrelevance? Or will it find a way to exploit the chaos produced by upheaval?
For many specialists on terrorism and West Asia, though not all, the past few weeks have the makings of an epochal disaster for al-Qaeda, making the jihadists look like ineffectual bystanders to history while offering young Muslims an appealing alternative to terrorism.
"So far — and I emphasise so far — the score card looks pretty terrible for al-Qaeda," said Paul R Pillar, who studied terrorism for nearly three decades at the CIA . "Democracy is bad news for terrorists."
Osama's deputy Ayman al-Zawahri has issued rambling statements from his hide-out in the Af-Pak border region. "Knocking off Mubarak has been Zawahri's goal for over 20 years, and he was unable to do it," said Brian Fishman, a terrorism expert. "Now a nonviolent, nonreligious, pro-democracy movement got rid of him."
However, there is evidence that the uprisings have enthralled some jihadists. One Algerian man with al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb, network's North African affiliate, welcomed uprisings saying militants were returning from exile to join the battle in Libya.
IndianExpress
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