Osama Bin Laden was concerned with how the brutality of al Qaeda’s affiliates was losing the hearts and minds of Muslims.
Bin Laden Grows a Conscience
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al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda in Iraq’s Strategy for 2012
It was an ordinary early morning in Baghdad in February 2012. Mothers and fathers were stuck in the grueling traffic of the capital, on their way to work. Their children were all packed up and ready to go to school. Shops were opening up in Baghdad’s market, hoping to profit from the morning rush hour. Then, at a moment’s notice, Iraqis in Baghdad and several other Iraqi cities found themselves in the middle of a coordinated series of terrorist attacks.
State of the Union’s Foreign Policy: Unilateral Triumphalism
Obama returned to his perceived strong suit in the end to discuss how the United States must operate from a position of strength. Unfortunately, he was talking about the strength of the U.S. military. The United States should indeed set an example: of wise diplomacy, global economic equity, and sensible budget priorities at home. Perhaps the next State of the Union can begin on a note of international cooperation instead of unilateral triumphalism.
Postcard from . . . DC: Myth of Iran Support for al-Qaeda Just Won’t Die
Iran war hawks are still trying to establish that Iran was complicit with al-Qaeda in the attacks of 9/11. Paul Mutter at the Foreign Policy in Focus blog Focal Points.
Target: Africa
An informal competition took place during the Bush years for the title of “second front” in the war on terror. Administration officials often referred to Southeast Asia as the next major franchise location for al-Qaeda, with the Philippines in particular slated to become the “next Afghanistan.” Then there was the border between Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, which State Department officials termed a “focal point for Islamic extremism in Latin America.” Worried about the spread of al-Qaeda operatives in North Africa, the Bush administration also developed the Pan-Sahel Initiative, which became the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Initiative before finally being folded into the Pentagon’s new Africa Command.
Troy Davis and al-Awlaki: Two Murders, One Outrage
Despite limited evidence, the United States painted Anwar al-Awlaki as a terrorist mastermind and executed him without the trial to which he was entitled as a U.S. native.
In the End, Will Iran’s Nuclear Plans Be Decided by — Cancer?
Iran’s need for uranium for medical purposes may make it amenable to compromise over its nuclear program.
Bin Laden’s Gift to Islam: Giving Muslims Religious License to Kill Each Other
Muslim soldiers, security officers, and government officials who support a tyrannical regime or an occupying force are legitimate targets for al Qaeda.
Why Al-Qaeda Won
With the tenth anniversary of the crime that was 9/11, the question inevitably crops up: who won, the United States or al-Qaeda? According to the politically correct answer, although al-Qaeda has been decimated, it has been a Pyrrhic victory for Washington. In defeating al-Qaeda, the U.S. government engaged in many unnecessary violations of human rights and due process that diminished America in the eyes of both its citizens and the world.
Probing for Soft Spots in a Terrorist’s Irrational Armor
Are yet more infringements on civil liberties required to deter terrorists?