Posted on 05/02/2007 3:47:23 AM PDT by Kaslin
In February 2004, Iraqi and coalition intelligence intercepted a message to al-Qaida's "senior leaders." Written by al-Qaida's Iraqi commander, the now-deceased Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the letter outlined al-Qaida's last ditch "surge" plan for defeating democracy in Iraq and avoiding what it saw as a looming, devastating defeat for its totalitarian theology.
Zarqawi's letter lamented al-Qaida's "failure to enlist support" in Iraq and "to scare the Americans into leaving." After Iraqis run their own government, Zarqawi wrote, "the sons of this land will be the authority. ... This is the democracy. We will have no pretexts."
Fearing an American and Iraqi strategic victory (creating a democracy defending itself against terrorists), Zarqawi saw only one strategic option: exploit Iraq's Shia-Sunni religious divide by slaughtering Iraqi Shia civilians. The Shia would respond to al-Qaida's terror attacks by igniting a "sectarian war." He believed the religious war would "rally the Sunni Arabs" to al-Qaida. This war against Shiites, he wrote, "must start soon -- at "zero hour" -- before the Americans hand over sovereignty to the Iraqis."
The February 2006 attack on the Golden Mosque in Samarra brought Iraq to the precipice of Zarqawi's sectarian war, but even that failed to produce the apocalyptic schism al-Qaida desired. Credit Iraq's people and its new government with not buckling in 2006, as Shia-Sunni strife escalated.
This week, Reuters reported an Iraqi government claim that Zarqawi's successor, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, had died in a battle with "Sunni Arab insurgent groups over al-Qaida's indiscriminate killing of civilians and its imposition of an austere brand of Islam in the areas where it holds sway." At the moment, that report remains unconfirmed. However, for the last 24 months, conflict between al-Qaida and Iraqi Sunnis has become more open and deadly.
The coalition and the Iraqi government have tried to exploit divisions within the terrorist groups. Al-Qaida's method of exploitation is mass murder of civilians. The Iraqi government employs incorporative politics.
This is tactical and operational exploitation, and though its successes are incremental, they are still successes. However, defeating al-Qaida's totalitarian ideology requires a strategic approach, as well. At the moment, the poisoned minds in Washington won't admit it, but the democracy project in Iraq is part of that strategic approach. Zarqawi understood that democracy robs the terrorists of their breeding grounds.
Al-Qaida presents an ideological challenge. Understanding al-Qaida's origins is essential to understanding its appeal and how to defeat it.
Lawrence Wright's Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Looming Tower" provides the most readable narrative history on the origins of al-Qaida, especially his discussion of Egypt's Sayid Qutb, the modern father of jihadist violence. When I reviewed the book last year, I wrote: "Al-Qaida's dark genius ... has been to connect the Muslim world's angry, humiliated and isolated young men with a utopian fantasy preaching the virtue of violence. That utopian fantasy seeks to explain and then redress roughly 800 years of Muslim decline."
How to defeat the ideology, with its fantasy narrative? Recently, Dale Eikmeier published an essay in the U.S. Army War College's Parameters Magazine. The essay, titled "Qutbism: An Ideology of Islamic Fascism," suggests "five lines of operation" for attacking Qutbism, which he calls al-Qaida's "ideological center of gravity."
First: Attack the message -- an ideological offensive by moderate Muslims. Eikmeier says Yemeni Judge Hamoud al-Hitar has a particularly effective theological counter to Qutbism.
Second: Attack the Messenger -- "Many of Qutbism's proponents are individuals with questionable religious credentials."
Third and fourth: Attack Islamo-fascism's supporting institutions, and support mainstream Islamic institutions -- mirror images. Attack al-Qaida's educational, financial, and informational structures. Support those of Muslim moderates.
Fifth: Inoculation. Eikmeier says this requires education regarding the Qutbists' "anti-human rights and religiously intolerant agenda." Eikmeier says the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the U.S. Bill of Rights are the alternatives.
Which takes us back to democracy, doesn't it?
Austin Bay Austin Bay is author of three novels. His third novel, The Wrong Side of Brightness, was published by Putnam/Jove in June 2003. He has also co-authored four non-fiction books, to include A Quick and Dirty Guide to War: Third Edition (with James Dunnigan, Morrow, 1996).
Hmm. Saw this article up a few minutes ago then you pulled it. It’s a good one. Thanks for reposting.
Interesting post!
I had it pulled because I got the text of the picture in without getting the picture itself.
Too bad the real fight isn’t in Iraq.
The fight is over here, on Capital Hill, and our side isn’t even willing to participate. Bush is essentially alone.
Thanks for posting this...I’m going to ping some people who might be interested in it.
You are welcome
First: Attack the message — an ideological offensive by moderate Muslims. Eikmeier says Yemeni Judge Hamoud al-Hitar has a particularly effective theological counter to Qutbism
Bolstering Moderate Muslims
DanielPipes.org ^ | 4/17/07 | Daniel Pipes
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1819926/posts
Posted on 04/19/2007 7:43:29 AM CDT by Valin
When I suggest that radical Muslims are the problem and that moderate Muslims are the solution, the nearly inevitable retort from most people is: “What moderate Muslims?”
“Where are the anti-Islamists’ demonstrations against terror?” they ask me. “What are they doing to combat Islamists? What have they done to reassess Islamic law?”
My response: Moderate Muslims do exist. But, of course, they constitute a very small movement when compared to the Islamist onslaught. This means that the American government and other powerful institutions should give priority to locating, meeting with, funding, forwarding, empowering, and celebrating those brave Muslims who, at personal risk, stand up and confront the totalitarians.
A just-published study from the RAND Corporation, Building Moderate Muslim Networks, methodically takes up and thinks through this concept. Angel Rabasa, Cheryl Benard, Lowell Schwartz, and Peter Sickle grapple intelligently with the innovative issue of helping moderate Muslims to grow and prosper.
(snip)
_________________________
Road Map for Moderate Network Building in the Muslim World (long read)
RAND Corp. ^ | Angel Rabasa, Cheryl Benard, Lowell H. Schwartz, Peter Sickle
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1818382/posts
Posted on 04/16/2007 6:09:23 PM CDT by Valin
Identifying Key Partners and Audiences
A critical part of U.S. network-building efforts, as well as in its broader public diplomacy and strategic communications policy, is identifying key partners and audiences. Difficulties in distinguishing potential allies from adversaries present a major problem to Western governments and organizations attempting to organize support for moderate Muslims. Work done by the RAND Corporation—in Cheryl Benard’s Civil Democratic Islam and Angel Rabasa et al., The Muslim World After 9/11—has begun to lay the framework for identifying ideological tendencies in the Muslim world,1 which is necessary in order to identify the sectors with which the United States and its allies can be most e.ective in promoting democracy and stability to counter the in.uence of extremist and violent groups.
Around the world Muslims differ substantially not only in their religious views, but also in their political and social orientation, including their conceptions of government; their views on the primacy of shari’a (Islamic law) versus other sources of law; their views on human rights, especially the rights of women and religious minorities; and whether they support, justify, or tolerate violence perpetrated in advancement of a political or religious agenda. We refer to these as “marker issues,” and the position of groups or individuals on them allows for a more precise classifcation of these groups in terms of their a.nity for democracy and pluralism.
(snip)
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(I’m not a big fan of the phrase MUST READ, so I’ll just say you won’t be disappointed.)
The War of Ideas: Jihadism against Democracy (Hardcover)
by Walid Phares
http://www.amazon.com/War-Ideas-Jihadism-against-Democracy/dp/1403976392
Walid Phares has long been among the most knowledgeable and incisive scholars of the Middle East—its peoples, its cultures, its religions, and its radical movements.”
—U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman
“This book is a ‘must read’ for those who want to understand the jihad radical Islamists are waging against democracies. Walid Phares has a gift for being able to identify the root causes of the war and what the West and the free world must do to prevail.”
—Oliver North, host of FOX News’s “War Stories”
“If you want to understand the War of Ideas being waged by Jihadists, Walid Phares is your man.”
—U.S. Congresswoman Sue Myrick
Walid Phares is both an incisive scholar and a skilled communicator. His insights into the psychologies and pathologies of the Middle East are unrivaled.”
—Clifford D. May, President of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies
“The Jihadists began their War of Ideas against democracies decades ago. Walid Phares’s book is a unique analysis of the roots and future of this terror campaign against the free world.”
—Magdi Khalil, Egyptian journalist, Elaph.com
“I have followed and respected Dr. Walid Phares’ academic work and reasoned commentary for years. He has a unique ability to articulate the central ideological conflict in the struggle against Jihadism. Dr. Phares consistently stands out as an invaluable resource and authentic voice in the global effort to understand exactly who the enemies of democracy are, what they believe, and how we can defeat them. The book is a must read.”
—Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, Chairman, American Islamic Forum for Democracy
Some useful information regarding the war in Iraq for a change. Thanks.
I suggest that you and others might let him know he’s got your support. You might consider letting other officials know what you think, too.
It is amazingly clear how AQ sees Iraq as the front line in the war against the West....it is something they acknowledge must be won....at all costs...they understand the ramifications of victory or defeat...
Yet the DNC refuses to acknowledge this obvious point....
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Absolutely true.
What is proposed is an information/propaganda war: Our Weakest Link.
Until we get serious about this, we won't win.
A major part of this has to be taking the offensive, and not waiting for the Islamics to intimidate us.
Judo moves, where we use thir ideology against them should be employed.
I don't ever want to hear from Muslims in this country talking about their "rights" without a rejoinder from us about the Rights of Non-muslims in Islamic countries, the right to worship, build NEW Churches, and Proselytize, as Muslims are permitted to do here.
They must be countered and embarrassed (if they are capable of That) each and every time, relentlessly.
Their silly pity party about their humuliation must be MOCKED.
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