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Report: 18,000 al Qaeda fighters
CNN ^
| May 25th, 2004
| CNN
Posted on 05/25/2004 7:31:17 PM PDT by Gdzine
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The media is trying to make it seem as though our fighting in Iraqi has caused 18,000 new Middle Eastern men to join the ranks of al Qaeda. This is CNN's lead paragraph "Despite losses around the world, al Qaeda has more than 18,000 potential terrorists, and its ranks are growing because of the conflict in Iraq, a leading think tank warned Tuesday."
Now where do does this "objective" think tank gets its actually number of 18,000 from. Well we can find this out by reading further in the article.
"The estimate of 18,000 fighters was based on intelligence estimates that al Qaeda trained at least 20,000 fighters in its training camps in Afghanistan before the United States and its allies ousted the Taliban regime. In the ensuing war on terror, some 2,000 al Qaeda fighters have been killed or captured, the survey said."
So the 18,000 number is all from people who were trained in Afghanistan before the Iraqi war!
The 18,000 number is in no way associated with Iraqi, but yet it is totally spun that way.
1
posted on
05/25/2004 7:31:18 PM PDT
by
Gdzine
To: Gdzine
You changed the headline. The original says nothing about 18,000 fighters "in Iraq."
Since you're new here, you get a pass, this time.
For archival purposes, it is never a good thing to change original headlines. It also violates posting guidelines.
2
posted on
05/25/2004 7:34:47 PM PDT
by
sinkspur
(Adopt a dog or a cat from an animal shelter! It will save one life, and may save two.)
To: Gdzine
Don't forget to add some Bounce to that "Spin Cycle"
To: sinkspur
I didnt mean to do that, I was typing more than thinking
4
posted on
05/25/2004 7:38:08 PM PDT
by
Gdzine
To: Gdzine
Even more ridiculous, the same people who will crow about "18,000 Al Qaeda" on the loose are the ones upset that we're being too mean to those poor little kids at Guantanamo.
To: Gdzine
The 18,000 number is in no way associated with Iraqi, but yet it is totally spun that way. Now we know that, no matter how journalistically challenged CNN might be, they can at least handle basic math.
Well, subtraction, anyway...
6
posted on
05/25/2004 7:38:33 PM PDT
by
okie01
(www.ArmorforCongress.com...because Congress isn't for the morally halt and the mentally lame.)
To: Gdzine
How about an estimate of how many more "fighters" there would be if the training camps in Afghanistan were still operating?
I suspect the only ranks of Al Quaeda that are swelling are the rotting corpses of the "fighters" who were unfortunate enough to face the USMC in Iraq. Yeah, they're probably pretty swollen by now - until the maggots eat through their skin. Then they will deflate in a hurry!
To: Gdzine
Oh no
18,000 al Qaeda fighters, and less than 300 million Americans to oppose them. We're doomed.
8
posted on
05/25/2004 7:40:40 PM PDT
by
Logophile
To: Law is not justice but process
That is a really good point, how many more fighters would be trained if we didnt hadnt shut the Taliban down.
In reality most of the 18000 fighters joined Al Qaeda during the Clinton Administration
9
posted on
05/25/2004 7:40:57 PM PDT
by
Gdzine
To: Gdzine
10
posted on
05/25/2004 7:45:36 PM PDT
by
Jeff Gordon
(LWS - Legislating While Stupid. Someone should make this illegal.)
To: Gdzine
Leave it to CNN to inflate, exaggerate and otherwise refabricate what was already a think-tank's pile of Barbara Streisand to begin with:
Here's an AP version of the same spin :
Report- al-Qaida Ranks Swelling Worldwide
11
posted on
05/25/2004 7:45:45 PM PDT
by
piasa
(Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge.)
To: Gdzine
"...2,000 al Qaeda fighters have been killed or captured..."
- - -
I think that number is a bit on the low side.
12
posted on
05/25/2004 7:45:51 PM PDT
by
DefCon
To: Gdzine
The "report" did not say "18,000 al Qaeda fighters in Iraqi."
The International Institute for Strategic Studies claims that
there are up to approximately 18,000 in the whole world.
But someone in another thread provided info on The International Institute for Strategic Studies ("Does the IISS have a political agenda?") that you should all have a look at.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1142187/posts?page=9#9
13
posted on
05/25/2004 7:45:53 PM PDT
by
familyop
(Essayons)
To: Gdzine
And 18,000 enemy in the context of American History and character is not many at all to kill.
14
posted on
05/25/2004 7:48:22 PM PDT
by
familyop
(Essayons)
To: Gdzine
Yet another example of the psychological warfare being deployed against us specifically to demoralize the West and hasten an end to the war on terror.
15
posted on
05/25/2004 7:48:54 PM PDT
by
reagan_fanatic
(Liberalism is the end result of too many people peeing in the gene pool.)
To: piasa
al-Qaida Ranks Swelling WorldwideHmm. 20,000 trained prior to 2001, camps get shut down, 2,000 Jihadis captured or killed, leaves 18,000 from 2001 and earlier. This is "swelling"?
To: Gdzine
This crap comes from the "International Institute of Strategic Studies".
Checking out their web site, I find no name that is recognizable except for Dr Fareed Zakaria. Remember him? He is the anti-Bush creep who appears on George Stephanopolous' Sunday morning program.
That alone is enough to make me suspicious of anything that they say.
17
posted on
05/25/2004 7:49:05 PM PDT
by
jackbill
To: Gdzine
Any training camps Al Quaeda is operating now are clandestine and small. If the ranks of Al Quaeda are increasing, they are increasing at a much lower rate than before the fall of the Taliban.
We eventually would have had to deal with the Taliban Era trainees, even if 9-11 never happened, even if we never destroyed the Taliban, and even if we never deposed Saddam. The good news is we have 2000 fewer to deal with now than before the WOT. 2000 in Hell or in jail, 18,000 to go.
To: Gdzine
I really doubt this number. Al Queda is on the ropes. Yes, it might still be able to muster attacks, but those SOBs are demoralized.
19
posted on
05/25/2004 7:50:50 PM PDT
by
Teplukin
To: DefCon
I think so, too- I last heard that figure in January of 2002 in reference just to Afghanistan.
20
posted on
05/25/2004 7:52:17 PM PDT
by
piasa
(Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge.)
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