Al-Qaida and Reality

To follow-up on a previous post, where I pour some cold water on the simplistic notion that there is only one closely knit terrorist organisation in the world, here is an article giving a similar perspective on Al-Qaida. Here are some quotes:
bq. “So, too, Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaida’s chief operating officer, the real power behind the organization. Zawahiri was a doctor in Egypt until wrongfully arrested, jailed and savagely tortured. After being released, Zawahiri formed Islamic Jihad, a murderous underground organization that battled to overthrow the U.S.-backed regime of Gen. Hosni Mubarak.” “During the 1980s, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia organized and financed 100,000 young Muslims from across the Islamic world to go fight in the Great Jihad in Afghanistan. I came to know many of these mujahedin, or holy warriors, both in Pakistan and Afghanistan. In 1986, Sheik Abdullah Azzam, the spiritual and political mentor of Osama bin Laden, told me, ‘Once we have driven the Soviet imperialists from Afghanistan, we will go and liberate Saudi Arabia, and then Palestine, from western imperialism.’”
“After the Soviet defeat, the mujahedin scattered. They became known as “Afghani,” and were held in high esteem for their valor and faith. But when some of these veterans decided to try to overthrow the dictatorial regimes of the Muslim world, the U.S. and its regional allies branded them as “terrorists.” Most of these “Afghani” kept in touch, creating an informal network of like-minded militants. While there is no formal linkage between al-Qaida and militant Islamic groups in Asia and Africa, an old-boys’ network of war veterans allows for secure and effective communication, as well as occasional co-operation. “

Posted by Ian at October 22, 2002 02:45 PM | TrackBack §