Beyond Osama?
How is Al Qaeda doing? Why the differences between bin Laden and Zawahiri? Would the latter succeed the former? Or is Zarqawi the rising sun and OBL the setting?
In an interesting opinion piece, B. Raman, Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai asks these questions, and more, and tries to answer some of them.
He notes that there have been several important events since Osama bin Laden's last appearance....typically the kind of events that would have inspired him to communicate to the world...but he has not. Why?
One such example is the disastrous earthquake that struck the region, struck heavily in parts of Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province....a province where the majority of the victims were Pashtuns - the traditional supporters of bin Laden both in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Of course there has been some speculation that OBL died in that quake. Questions abound.
He also points out, " For nearly eight months now, Al Qaeda had chosen to ignore with contempt all speculation regarding the fate of OBL. The fact that Zawahiri has now felt constrained to refute this speculation is indicative of his and Al Qaeda's concern over the likely impact of this speculation on the morale of their followers. The tenor of the message of Zawahiri also shows that the US is not doing as badly against Al Qaeda as it is alleged to be by the critics of the Bush Administration. Its ground operations in Afghanistan and Iraq are making an impact on the terrorists. The impact is not yet substantial or tide-turning, but is definitely worrisome for Al Qaeda leadership. The US' Psywar against the jihadi terrorists is showing a wee bit more sophistication than in the past, though it is not as sophisticated as one would have liked it to be.
The entire opinion piece can be read here at Outlook India.
In an interesting opinion piece, B. Raman, Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai asks these questions, and more, and tries to answer some of them.
He notes that there have been several important events since Osama bin Laden's last appearance....typically the kind of events that would have inspired him to communicate to the world...but he has not. Why?
One such example is the disastrous earthquake that struck the region, struck heavily in parts of Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province....a province where the majority of the victims were Pashtuns - the traditional supporters of bin Laden both in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Of course there has been some speculation that OBL died in that quake. Questions abound.
He also points out, " For nearly eight months now, Al Qaeda had chosen to ignore with contempt all speculation regarding the fate of OBL. The fact that Zawahiri has now felt constrained to refute this speculation is indicative of his and Al Qaeda's concern over the likely impact of this speculation on the morale of their followers. The tenor of the message of Zawahiri also shows that the US is not doing as badly against Al Qaeda as it is alleged to be by the critics of the Bush Administration. Its ground operations in Afghanistan and Iraq are making an impact on the terrorists. The impact is not yet substantial or tide-turning, but is definitely worrisome for Al Qaeda leadership. The US' Psywar against the jihadi terrorists is showing a wee bit more sophistication than in the past, though it is not as sophisticated as one would have liked it to be.
The entire opinion piece can be read here at Outlook India.
posted by HeavyHanded at
4:31 PM
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