 Saddened, deeply saddened . . .
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Bu-bye, ar$ehole!!
Posted on 10/26/2007 6:40:59 AM PDT by Tennessean4Bush
Bronxville, N.Y. - In yet another sign of trouble for Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden publicly conceded that his like-minded militants in Iraq "made mistakes." In an audiotape broadcast by Al Jazeera this week, he sounds deeply anxious about the survival of Al Qaeda in Iraq – a group that is largely independent of his own organization but adheres to a similar ideology. Al Qaeda's top leader appealed to Sunni Arab tribes and other armed Iraqi Sunni groups to stop fighting Al Qaeda members and unite against the real enemy – the US-led coalition.
Al Qaeda in Iraq faces growing indignation from fellow Sunni Iraqis fed up with its indiscriminate killing of civilians and its Taliban-like religious laws. In the past year, Sunni tribes and fighters have risen against Al Qaeda's branch in Iraq and, working jointly with US troops, killed and expelled scores of its militants from their neighborhoods, particularly from Anbar Province. Besieged both internally and externally, Al Qaeda in Iraq struggles to survive and absorb these catastrophic military setbacks.
Coming to the rescue of his followers in Iraq, Mr. bin Laden lays his personal authority and credibility on the line. In a rare moment of self-criticism, he advises "himself, Muslims in general, and brothers in Al Qaeda everywhere to avoid extremism" and put the interests of the ummah (universal Muslim community) above those of tribe, party, and nation.
True to form, bin Laden stops short of saying exactly who speaks for the ummah and how the interests of this imagined ummah can override those of separate nation states and special groups.
Never before had bin Laden, ambitious and media-savvy, gone so far in airing Al Qaeda's dirty linen in public. In the past, he and his second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, had privately...
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
The second half of this article contains new information (at least to me) about muslim clerics who previously were aligned with al Qaeda.
List of places where Al Qaeda has gotten their posterior kicked: Afghanistan, Somalia, Lebanon, Iraq. All they have left is their audio and videotapes to try to rally the goobers of the Muslim world.
They are probably most dangerous now that they are near defeat. But that period of danger won’t last long.
But bin Laden's troubles transcend Iraq. Prominent clerics and former militants call into question the very legitimacy of bin Laden's authority as a spokesman for Islam and Muslims. And last month, one of bin Laden's most prominent Saudi mentors, the preacher and scholar Salman al-Odah, wrote an open letter reproaching him for "fostering a culture of suicide bombings that has caused bloodshed and suffering and brought ruin to entire Muslim communities and families."Bin Laden's Al Qaeda was dealt another shattering blow from within when one of its top theorists, Abdul-Aziz el-Sherif, renounced its extremes, including the killing of civilians and the choosing of targets based on religion and nationality. In the past few months, Mr. El-Sherif – a longtime associate of Zawahiri, who crafted what became known as Al Qaeda's guide to jihad – called on militants to desist from terrorism and authored a dissenting rebuttal against his former cohorts.
In early October, Abdulaziz al-Ashaikh, the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, issued a fatwa prohibiting Saudis from engaging in jihad abroad and accused both bin Laden and Arab regimes of "transforming our youth into walking bombs to accomplish their own political and military aims."
The guy hiding in the cave knows he is losing this war, a dramatic change from just six months ago as it relates to Iraq.
And he’s gotten his ass kicked repeatedly in the arena he personally choose, Afghanistan.
After the massive ‘culling’ of fanatics since 9/11, whats left is a growing number of muslims that are realizing this guy doesn’t have the balls to strap on a bomb belt and lead an attack himself. That goes directly to ‘respect’ which is huge among the tribal chieftains, not just in Iraq but also Afghanistan.
He’s in the same general situation the Japanese found themselves in after mid 1943. He knows he’s lost the initiative, and is now forced to play ‘defense’.
Thats a losing gambit, as any military expert will tell you, from any era.
Muslims in general, and brothers in Al Qaeda everywhere to avoid extremism
Let’s hear it for extremism!!!
Ping
Democrats are DEEPLY SADDENED !!
When is the last time the media asked George Bush what mistakes he has made?
Factually incorrect. Al Qeda means the base. It was set up to bring together various terrorist groups and provide them training and resources. They are all part of a decentralized organization. This is just more of the usual Leftist claptrap about Iraq put out by the Unchristian Monitor to perpetuate the Democrat National Committee directed myth that Iraq and the WOT are separate wars. No they are not.
Today, Al Qaeda in Iraq possesses limited options, and is trying to buy time. But while entrapped and weakened, Al Qaeda is far from dead. Bin Laden's brief moment of self-criticism shows that, although he listens, it's difficult to keep a ship from sinking after being thrown overboard.
Huh?
Saddened, deeply saddened . . .
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Bu-bye, ar$ehole!!
Perhaps Osama is trying to move into a “statesman” phase, a la Yassir Arafat.
Can we trust the information on the Saudi clerics (and others) renouncing suicide bombing and turning against Al Qaeda?
If so, then this is a significant development.
Seems Bin Laden is losing his theological fight in addition to losing his military one.
This is actually the most dangerous part. If Bin Laden could unite the Muslim world against the West, we would be in serious trouble.
Instead, some of the fringe elements of Islamic Fundamentalism went too far in attacking fellow Muslims.
Similar to Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.
Global Warming must have gotten to Bin Laden too! Damn.
Osama is afraid Obama or Clinton won’t win the presidency.
“List of places where Al Qaeda has gotten their posterior kicked: Afghanistan, Somalia, Lebanon, Iraq. All they have left is their audio and videotapes to try to rally the goobers of the Muslim world.
They are probably most dangerous now that they are near defeat. But that period of danger won’t last long.”
Also Tunisia, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, Philippines.
Pretty much where ever they show up the locals soon tire of them. While people living there maynot be madly in love with America, but neither do they want to live in the 11th century.
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