Terrorism in France: Al Qaeda may have downed airliner in retaliation

The Washington Times ^ | January 8, 2004 | Walid Phares

[quidnunc]

When President Jacques Chirac delivered his televised speech about the hijab (female Muslim scarf) in France, I believed there would be an immediate Jihad against France.I anticipated a wide array of jihadist offensives against Paris. My primary analytical reason was the strategic importance of the scarf to Islamic fundamentalists worldwide.

According to religious radicals, the long scarf — which is supposed to cover the hair, and in some cases, the faces of Muslim women — is not just a tradition, but a religious duty called fard dinee. Per fundamentalist clerics, women have to cover. And by way of extension, those who do are complying with the will of Allah.

When women wear the scarf, Islamic fundamentalists consider it a pillar of their influence. They can deploy their statistical power and project it as a maker or breaker of their growth. If the hijab were used increasingly, the Islamists would feel on the ascent. If its use decreases, particularly by orders of a secular government, like France, the jihadists have no choice but to wage war.

-snip-

[McGavin999]

Just a stupid question here. If God wanted women's faces covered wouldn't he have made them so they grew beards?

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[Fenris6]

"Mr. Chirac projected a political trade. He would oppose the United States on Iraq, shield Saddam's regime until the last day, stand firmly by the Palestinian Authority against Israel and continue to endorse Syria's control of Lebanon. In return, he expected an "Arab understanding" of France's domestic needs regarding secularism. He failed."

Didn't they already learn this lesson at Munich?

[Billthedrill]

McG - two words: Helen Thomas.

quid - I have to think that if al-Qaeda had done the job they'd have been trumpeting it to the sky by now - it would constitute the only success they've had for awhile. Anything's possible, but this one I doubt.

[MediaMole]

If God wanted women's faces covered wouldn't he have made them so they grew beards?

Have you ever been to the middle east? Why do you think burkas are so popular?

[COEXERJ145]

I'll wait to see what the CVR and FDR say before declaring the crash might have been terrorism.

The writer is basing his assumption on the basis of a phone call that could easily have been a nut case who thought making such a call would be real funny.

If I was a terrorist and wanted to attack France by attacking an aircraft, I wouldn't mess with some chartered Egyptian 737. I would take out an Air France Boeing 747-400 or 777-300 which would result in far higher casualties and a lot more general panic.

[quidnunc]

Billthedrill wrote: McG - two words: Helen Thomas. quid - I have to think that if al-Qaeda had done the job they'd have been trumpeting it to the sky by now - it would constitute the only success they've had for awhile. Anything's possible, but this one I doubt.

It's hard to know at this point because in the past al Qaeda has often committed terrorist acts for which they haven't claimed credit.

But now they're between a rock and a hard place and they need something to re-energize their troops and financiers.

We'll probably need some more time before we have a better handle on what downed the plane, and the Egyptians and French are going to try to whitewash it.

[July 4th]

As much as we bash France around here, they're still a Western nation, and attacks on their civilians were only a matter of time. The question is at what point will France realize their ties to the US are more important than placating some Algerian imam who's pissed off about not being able to subjugate women in Paris.

[quidnunc]

July 4th wrote: …The question is at what point will France realize their ties to the US are more important than placating some Algerian imam who's pissed off about not being able to subjugate women in Paris.

My sense is that they won't.

The French believe they should be the world's leaders (no kidding, they really do) and they're going to be a pain in our ass in perpetuity.

[Bobby777]

Terrorism in France: Al Qaeda may have downed airliner in retaliation

I think the PC bandwagon is at play here ... the reality is probably closer to:

"Terrorism in France: Islamic Terrorism may have downed airliner in retaliation"

IOW, not every terror attack is "Al Qaeda" though I'm sure they'd (Al Q) like it to be ... the Palestinian groups, Hamas, Hizbollah, Syrian groups, Saudi groups, Islamic Jihad, PFLP, Black September (if any still exist), PLO, Abu Saayef, ad infinitum ...

it sounds like a "smaller problem" to just limit it to "Al Qaeda" every time, but it's probably not too close to reality ...

[texasbluebell]

The French believe they should be the world's leaders (no kidding, they really do) and they're going to be a pain in our ass in perpetuity.

I saw a really interesting segment on, maybe it was Gibson on Fox, can't be sure now, possibly could have been on msnbc, but it was earlier on Wed evening. The guest was Michael Cherkasky, a terrorism and security expert, who said (paraphrasing only slightly) "Since the end of the Cold War, France has been our principal enemy."

I thought it pretty amazing that it was spelled out as boldly as it was, and can only suppose that our govt to some degree believes the same.

[quidnunc]

texasbluebell wrote: I saw a really interesting segment on, maybe it was Gibson on Fox, can't be sure now, possibly could have been on msnbc, but it was earlier on Wed evening. The guest was Michael Cherkasky, a terrorism and security expert, who said (paraphrasing only slightly) "Since the end of the Cold War, France has been our principal enemy." I thought it pretty amazing that it was spelled out as boldly as it was, and can only suppose that our govt to some degree believes the same.

I urge you to read Jean-Francois Revel's new book 'Anti-Americanism' if you really want to have your eyes opened to the extent of anti-Americansim in Europe in general and France in particular.

[Travis McGee]

Their crappy old manpad missiles failed to take down a DC-10. They may have selected the French 737 because they thought their missile would have greater success. Or it may simply have been a bomb carried aboard successfully due to crappy security.

[WackyKat]

The guest was Michael Cherkasky, a terrorism and security expert, who said (paraphrasing only slightly) "Since the end of the Cold War, France has been our principal enemy."

That's completely absurd

Don't believe much of what you hear from TV talking head experts-they all have their own agendas

And I can guess what Cherkasky's is

Can you?

[RandallFlagg]

I have to think that if al-Qaeda had done the job they'd have been trumpeting it to the sky by now

Because they know that Bush and America would get the blame for it.
France would blame us for it.
The 9 dwarves would blame Bush for it.
Other terrorist organizations would blame us for it.
Moveon.org would blame Bush for it.


Why not? They blamed us for 9-11. They blamed us for Saddam starving his people.
EVERYTHING'S our fault. Haven't you heard?



Sorry. I flew off a little there....

[11B3]

Sharm is (or at least used to be when I was there) a complete security nightmare. Baggage handling for a charter plane? Nah. "Why bother" would be the attitude there.

Add to that the fact that there is an uninhabited island just off the coast a few miles that is easy to access by small boat. The 737 would have flown directly or very nearly so over that island on take-off. Even a SA-7 would have no problem finding the exhaust trail of a 737 taking off.

This thing reeked of terrorism from the start. Missile, bomb, whatever. Binny's girls don't always claim credit right away. Egypt was far too swift in calling this an 'accident' for me.

[RandallFlagg]

And didn't the French find the black box?

Somebody catch my hopes! They're blasting off!

/sarcasm...

[BigSkyFreeper]

Anti-Americanism and anit-semitism is a big problem in Europe.

[cajungirl]

What is his agenda? Cherasky I mean.