Posted on 12/20/2007 5:42:26 AM PST by milestogo
Saudis biggest group of al Qaeda Iraq fighters: study
By Kristin Roberts
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Most al Qaeda fighters in Iraq are from Saudi Arabia and Libya and many are university-aged students, said a study released on Wednesday by researchers at the U.S. Army's West Point military academy.
The study was based on 606 personnel records collected by al Qaeda in Iraq and captured by coalition troops in October. It includes data on fighters who entered Iraq, largely through Syria, between August 2006 and August 2007.
The researchers at West Point's Combating Terrorism Center found that 41 percent of the fighters were Saudi nationals.
Libyan nationals accounted for the second largest group entering Iraq in that time period with about 19 percent of the total, followed by Syrians and Yemenis each at 8 percent, Algerians with 7 percent and Moroccans at 6 percent.
On a per capita basis, Libyans accounted for the greatest share of foreign fighters entering Iraq.
Previous studies found Libyans accounted for a far smaller percentage of foreign fighters in Iraq, the West Point researchers said. They concluded the U.S. military either underestimated the Libyan contribution of fighters or that the pattern has shifted since a Libyan Islamic militant group strengthened ties with al Qaeda.
“Kill ‘em all and let Allah sort ‘em out.”
Al Qaeda is nothing if not a pure outgrowth of Saudi society. The following are core Saudi contributions to AQ:
1) Leadership
2) Personnel
3) Ideology
4) Cash
5) Sanctuary
It is hard to tell Al Qaeda apart from a paramilitary arm of the Saudi government.
bttt
Except AQ is attacking the Saudi Government and wants to remove it and replace it with militant Islamic fundamentalists.
I guess that means they’re not at American Colleges and Univs “studying”, or more importantly “making it rain” at strip joints in the US.
Saudi experts believe that 1/3rd of the Princes are AQ supporters, 1/3rd are anti-AQ, and 1/3rd wait to see which way the wind blows.
According to this informed opinion, my statement is not exactly wrong, and yours is not exactly right.
As someone who has lived five years in the Kingdom, these so-called experts are full of it. If bin Laden and his supporters had their way, they would eliminate the entire House of Saud, including all of the princes. The idea that 1/3 of the princes would support AQ is preposterous. They would be signing their own death warrant.
I suggest that these experts reread bin Laden's 1996 fatwah, "Declaration of War against the Americans Occupying the Land of the Two Holy Places."
The exists an “Eternal friendship” between the United States and Saudi Arabia.
Really? Then why is the saudi government funding radical wahabi madrassahs in pakistan and fairfax county?
Really? What "radical wahabi madrassah is being funded in Fairfax County?"
Feds Recommend Closing McLean Saudi School
A private Islamic school supported by the Saudi government should be shut down until the U.S. government can ensure the school is not fostering radical Islam, a federal panel recommends. In a report released Thursday, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom broadly criticized what it calls a lack of religious freedom in Saudi society and promotion of religious extremism at Saudi schools.
Particular criticism is leveled at the Islamic Saudi Academy, a private school serving nearly 1,000 students in grades K-12 at two campuses in northern Virginia's Fairfax County.
The commission's report says the academy hews closely to the curriculum used at Saudi schools, which they criticize for promoting hatred of and intolerance against Jews, Christians and Shiite Muslims.
The school's director-general, Abdalla I. Al-Shabnan, said Wednesday that he had not seen the report. But he said the academy has adjusted its curriculum in recent years and removed some of the inflammatory language that had been included in the Saudi text. The school's curriculum may now serve as a model for the Saudi government to use in continuing its reform of Saudi schools, he said. "There is nothing in our curriculum against any religion," Al-Shabnan said.
He also said he is willing to show the school's curriculum and textbooks to anybody who wants to see them, and he expressed disappointment that the commission did not request materials directly from the school.
"We have an open policy," he said.
He also pointed out that many of the school's teachers are Christian and Jewish.
ISA sponsors a chapter of the National Honor Society. In addition to community service projects, the ISA National Honor Society organizes and sponsors an annual Career Day to promote education and career development for young men and women. This event brings prominent members of the DC community to speak to students. Recent speakers have included university faculty, as well as professionals in medicine, law, engineering, and computers, and US government officials.
ISA annually participates in regional and national science competitions. The ISA Science Fair is held in late winter and is judged by a team comprised of faculty members and outside specialists in math and science. ISA has had a number of students receive awards at the district and regional level.
ISA offers English Language Arts, Arabic Language Arts, Science, Math, Religion, and Social Studies which include U.S. History, Global Studies, and Civics. Social Studies are also offered in the Arabic language as well. ISA offers a variety of electives, such as computer graphics, psychology, economics, fine arts, journalism and drama. The school has strong enrollment in our Advanced Placement program, which includes Calculus, Physics, English, Biology, and American History. ISA has an outstanding ESL program.
In addition to its academic program, ISA offers a variety of extracurricular activities for its students to experience. ISA has a thriving after-school sports program. The school is a member of the Northern Virginia Independent Athletic Conference (NVIAC) and participates in its basketball and soccer leagues. Our coaches and their colleagues in the Conference have built a solid relationship based on mutual respect, teamwork and sportsmanship. ISA students and coaches alike value the sports program not for victories, but for the relationships they have been able to foster with other teams.
ISA students have traditionally participated in national school programs and events that promote leadership and citizenship. For many years ISA students have been active members of the Model United Nations Club, which promotes understanding of world affairs and communication between cultures. Over the years, ISA students have won numerous awards for their participation in school debates. Every year the school sponsors student participation in the Presidential Classroom Program.
ISA is extremely proud of its Drama program, which is offered in the Girls' School and culminates in a performance at the highly selective Folger Library Festival Competition in Washington, DC. Every spring, drama students are invited to compete, performing selections from Shakespeare's plays. Students are recognized not only for their fine performances, but also for their costumes, which are designed and sewn by members of the Drama Program. Other extracurricular activities include Student Government Association, Future Business Leaders of America, Journalism Club and Scout Leadership Club.
ISA actively participates in local and national community service projects. In recent years ISA has raised money for the United Way, the Mosaic Foundation, Help the Homeless and other important charity organizations. ISA has also fostered relationships with a number of area primary and secondary schools, including private institutions as well as public schools in the District of Columbia and Montgomery County. In partnership with area schools, ISA has visited school campuses, made presentations and participated in pen-pal exchanges. ISA seeks to promote understanding among students from various backgrounds.
ISA is a prominent member of the Mt. Vernon community and values its relationship with its neighbors. The school regularly coordinates with members of the business community, as well as the local police and fire departments. The school also participates in local community service projects, such as the annual Mt. Vernon Community Spring Clean-up.
Since its beginning, ISA has encouraged its staff to participate in events and activities that foster professional growth and awareness. Every year the school sends staff and faculty to conferences sponsored by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, as well as conferences on curriculum, instruction and specialization areas sponsored by local universities and other professional institutions.
ISA staff welcomes the opportunity to share their experience in bicultural education and to participate in workshops, task forces and committees on the local and national level. ISA administrators have participated in committees for Fairfax County Public Schools and have appeared on the "DOE Hour" classroom cable channel. Other outreach efforts have included talks by ISA staff at local elementary, middle and high schools.
Since its establishment, the Islamic Saudi Academy has viewed its relationship with the community and culture as vital to the mission of the school. ISA not only promotes respect and mutual understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims, Arabs and Americans while keeping within the Muslim faith, it strives for its staff and students to uphold tolerance, honesty, integrity and compassion, qualities that represent the best of both American and Arabic cultures.
Does this really sound like some sinister organization? The USG [thru the State Deparment] supports American and International Schools around the globe, including in Saudi Arabia.
Where did McVeigh or Oswald or Hinckley or any other assassin or would be assassin attend high school? This is just guilt by association.
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