These are not happy days for the worldwide al Qaeda brand. Having focused most of its energies on fighting in Iraq, the movement has all but disappeared from the scene in other parts of the global jihad, notably the Caucasus, southern Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Kashmir and the Arabian Peninsula.
Just another sign of the poor planning for the Iraq imperialist adventure.
Cordially…
In a world dominated by post modernism, these so-called “facts” outlined in the linked article will be rejected out of hand. Query: what is the psychological motive of those who instantaneously reject such “facts”?
Contacted for a comment on this issue, the ghost of Marcel Marceau said ” ” ….
ok, there was supposed to be an empty space between the quotation marks.. The comment doesnt even make sense without the space.. maybe I should have gone with the frowny face.. =(
But, but, but WE’RE MAKING more terrorists by killing their people, disrupting their finances and causing them to burn through their resources!!1!1!
And we’re making the world LASS SAFE by being in Iraq, stacking their dead bodies like cordwood. Ive been told this repeatedly.
*LESS*
Doh!
Hey, making the world lass safe is a high priority of mine. I like lasses.
Anyone care what motivates murderous a-holes like bin Laden, Zawahiri, Zarqawi, and the entire Taliban Hee Haw gang?
Me neither. Although they do make the prettiest patterns in the aftermath of a Hellfire impact. Which, much to their chagrin, they will find redundant in the extreme.
Now, who wants an orange whip?
I think if the press were to report on the success of the surge, it might make it even more difficult for Al Qaeda to recruit jihadis.
Making Terrorists! Like Snack Food! Twinkies! Cheetos! Ring Dings!
And then we kill them and eat them!
Hmmmm. That metaphor doesn’t really work, does it?
Oh well, can we have another in a long, long line of mind numbing discussions about ignoring the global terrorist problem due to our less than adequete troop levels in Afghanistan?
(Major John and RTO beat me with fresh baked naan) OW!
Just so I’m clear on the “Narrative”. Al Queda, dying in massive quantities, in Iraq, and basically putting those assholes in the experienced gun sites of our troops, therefore also decreasing civilian casualties everywhere BUT Iraq is a bad thing. Right ? I’m waiting on my media matters talking points to clear up any confusion. Sorry, I meant the “completely non-partisan and if anything, right leaning media matters”. Apparently, thats part of the narrative as well.
Not to throw a whole goat skeleton in your analysis Matt, but civilian casualties are down in Iraq, too.
Because if we’ve learned anything from the leftards, it is the ability to connect two points and make it a “trend.” Or one even. Because back in 2005 the GODLESS HURRICANES SPAWNED BY GLOBAL WARMING WERE COMING TO GET US ALL.
Matt:
The whole “we’re making more terrorists!” spiel by fighting back was an analysis based upon no methodology. (h/t Karl) First of all bin Laden claimed in one of the seized videos that al qaeda’s greatest recruiting was 9/11! Of course some will rally to a contrived insurgency against the eeeeeevil Americans but what really sells is success. The whole martyrdom thing only goes so far with the uneducated and easily manipulated. This idea that there are endless recruits waiting to throw themselves upon the swords of the Crusaders ignores the plaintive memos coming from AQI leadership as well as the increasingly amateurish attempts at international terrorism.
Here are two truths to consider: 1) As we spend resources in Iraq so do al qaeda and others. Resources that are hard to come by and are increasingly dangerous to get, either physically or over teh intertubes. 2) The best recruiting tools are success. al qaeda is lacking for any serious success in the last 3-4 years and their jihad is looking more and more certain of creating matyrs for very little collateral and startegic effect.
None of this happened fast enough for anyone but all of our expectations were based upon the ignorance of the realities when dealing with insurgencies and Global Terrorists. Allah forbid we should actually have a national strategic and tactical discussion on these opinions rather than being stuck with the parsed sound bites of wanna be pundits.
They haven’t issued a fatwa on me yet. Bastards.
None of this happened fast enough for anyone but all of our expectations were based upon the ignorance of the realities when dealing with insurgencies and Global Terrorists.
Like you said, the best recruiting tools are success. I think the media has created the impression that the insurgency in Iraq is far more successful than it has been, and has said little of how costly it has been for Al Qaeda. This has probably done more than any single factor to perpetuate Islamic jihad far beyond any strategic rationale. That’s ok I guess, but it’s important to remember that if George Bush had not been as resolute as he has been, it would be an entirely different story. He has been a very good president, that one.
By Rwandan or Sudanese standards, AQI might as well be holding up liquor stores and pimping.
Which, they may be doing, but you get the drift.
Al Qaeda took another hit last week when Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Al-Sheikh, Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti and the most prestigious cleric in the kingdom, issued a fatwa against “traveling abroad for the purpose of jihad.” Hours after the fatwa was issued, Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki hailed it as a “major step toward defeating al Qaeda in Iraq.”
I am still amazed the internet has become a way for me to get news that our Democratic Party MSM will never publish here. Or was there a CNN interview with the grand mufti that I missed?
Surely your not still peddling that discredited “We’ll fight them over there so we don’t have to fight them over here” baloney. Your so-called ‘fly-paper’ strategy never had a chance of working because for every brave AL-queda jihadi you killed, two more rose to take his place. And when you killed those two the new four would attack, and the next eight and so on.
All this is proved by the Lancet study that show that forty gazillion people have died in Iraq, but when the eighty gazillion martyrs have finally kicked the Great Satan out of Mesapotamia the survivors will return to the Caucasus, Thailand etc and then you’ll see.
Sure, but Malthus says they’ll all starve.
I prefer Sophie Marceau
Sadly al`Qaeda has been reduced to attacking villagers to pump up Iraqi casualty numbers and get the press to report on them.
But what does Simon say?
That’s hot, Christopher. Or rather, that French chick is hot. I watched an entire movie starring David Spade, sans Farley, just because she was in it.
“By Rwandan or Sudanese standards, AQI might as well be holding up liquor stores and pimping.”
I have been in quite a grim mood lately. That really did help cheer me up. Thanks.
Thank you for the clarification on “the Narrative” BJ – I think Media Matters must be down, as I have not received my informative email.
However, my pea brain did find some logic with the “there are not unlimited amounts of jihadists willing to die for Allah” theory – in some ways, that makes sense- supply/demand/limited resources etc. However, would you not agree that the jackbooted BUsh thugs in this country, are not only forcing muslims in other countries to take up arms against us but in many ways, Bushitler is the root cause of Americans in this country turning to “jihad” against Christians and other undesirables ? I’ve heard from many informed sources (like Rosie O’donnel) that Christians are actually worse than suicide bombers. My fervent belief is we’d have suicide bombers in this country, if liberals following the narrative weren’t such cowards.
I mean, what would show their commitement to the cause better than a Medea disciple, with breasts down to her knees, detonating herself in a local Christian church. I know I can’t think of anything. Maybe I should check Media Matters (they of the unbiased, unpolitical, yea nearly right wing leanings) for my answer.
Anyway, I greatly appreciate your assistance. I’m going to go now and see what Ric Caric thinks about this.
*I prefer Sophie Marceau*’
There are occasions I don’t mind the french. Ms. Marceau is one of those occasions.
Does donkeyboner have anything to say about this news? Oh,I think I can see the problem…NYPost? C’mon wingnuts!
But that “causing more terrorists” talking point was always one of the more impotent of the anti-war declarations. Good to see that even they should see that it is bunk.
Tonight the Tribe closes things out.
I’m more of a Monica Belluci fan, myself.
Let us never forget the lovely, incomparable … Mélissa Theuriau !
She bears mentioning twice.
Mélissa Theuriau