Al-Qaeda 'stronger than ever'

[WillyT]

<snip>

London - The al-Qaeda terrorist network is stronger than before the September 11, 2001 attacks, and the US-led "war on terror" has so far been a failure, a British academic concludes in a study published on Tuesday.

Paul Rogers, a professor of peace studies at the University of Bradford in England, said the US campaign's military successes in Afghanistan and Iraq had failed to crush al-Qaeda's structure or stem its recruitment.

"(Al-Qaeda) and its associates have managed to plan and often undertake a remarkable range of activities, with these collectively showing a capability that exceeds that existing before the September 11 attacks," Rogers wrote.

"On this basis alone, it is difficult to accept any claim that the war on terror is being won."

<snip>

Link: http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1413309,00.html

Oh great...

[psychopomp]

1. A network of networks

is very hard to "smoke out" or "hunt." The question is, are they organized coherently enough to be able to move resources around on the same scale as they could pre-9/11.

However, small-scale insurgency can be very disruptive:

In Iraq, foreign-based militants are "slipping easily through porous borders and possibly even linking up with dissident elements within the country," while the US-led occupation offers a focus for radical groups.

"By occupying Iraq, the United States has provided 140Ê000 targets - a very powerful focus for future opposition," Rogers wrote.

In a speech to the nation on Sunday, Bush said the United States would "do what is necessary" to defeat the "enemies of freedom" in Iraq.

Mods: I couldn't resist!

[ClintonTyree]

2. But, but....................

Powell said 2/3 of Al Qaeda's leadership has been caught, that they're winning this war on "terraism". No, this can't be true. Our administration wouldn't deceive we, the American people, would they?

[radfringe]

3. the whistleass did say he was a uniter

terrorists now have a clear vision and purpose, they are united in a common goal

waaaaaaaaay to go whistleass!

[cspiguy]

4. no attacks in two years - RIGHT!

AQ is really in charge now.

[Paschall]

5. From the article, just as a reminder...

<snip> In his report, Rogers said that while US-led anti-terrorism efforts had succeeded in preventing some terrorist plots, al-Qaeda linked attacks have killed more than 350 people and injured almost a thousand in the two years since September 11.

The attacks include the October 12, 2002 bombings on the Indonesian island of Bali that killed more than 200 people; car bombings of residential compounds in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, that killed 26 people in May; and the August 5 car bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia, in which 12 people died. </snip>

[Paschall]

6. Sort of what Kofi Annan just said to Canadian media

<snip> Rogers said the United States's "excessive and counterproductive" emphasis on military action would not stop terrorism. He called for a broader approach, including more development aid for Afghanistan, a greater role for the United Nations in rebuilding Iraq and a push to narrow "the growing global socio-economic divide."

"Security will unavoidably mean sharing out the world's resources more fairly," he said. </snip>