|
Nightline Daily E-Mail September 10, 2003
TONIGHT'S FOCUS: It's two years since the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. In many ways, the world has changed. But al Qaeda is still out there. Have they changed? Have their goals and tactics changed? Where will the next battle in the war on terrorism be fought?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There was a lot of talk in the wake of the attacks on 9/11 as to the reasons al Qaeda gave for attacking this country. In the days immediately following the attacks, and to this day, I think most people reject the idea that the attacks were in any way linked to U.S. policies. Instead there is a sense that "they" just hate us. But there were specific complaints or demands raised by al Qaeda. One in particular was the presence of American troops in Saudi Arabia, site of the holiest places for Islam. Our troops were there, of course, to offset Iraq. Well things have certainly changed. Now our troops are in Iraq, and very quietly, without much fanfare and probably less public attention, the U.S. has withdrawn from Saudi Arabia.
But does that matter to al Qaeda? Are they now going to give up? Of course not. And that raises the question of what exactly, or I guess more precisely, why exactly are they at war with us? What are their aims? No one would ever propose meeting or accepting their demands, whatever they might be, but do they have specific aims, or is the war an end in itself? This isn't just an academic exercise. This is a new kind of war, and we need to understand what the other side wants. And that's just it, we may never understand. If the goal is to foster some sort of global war between Islam and the West, then we're in for a long hard struggle. Because if nothing short of our annihilation or collapse or something equally apocalyptic will satisfy them, then how will this war ever end?
Those are the questions we're going to raise tonight. ABC News correspondent Jim Wooten will report on al Qaeda now and how much the organization, and its goals, have changed. And we'll hear from Nightline correspondents Chris Bury in Afghanistan, Dave Marash in Pakistan, and John Donvan in Baghdad. They are all out covering the different fronts in the war on terror that has come to include Iraq. All three will also be reporting tomorrow on Nightline as we mark the two-year anniversary of the attacks. I hope you'll join us.
Leroy Sievers and the Nightline Staff ABCNEWS Washington bureau
|