Al-Qaida at War with Itself, Author Says

NPR ^ | NPR

[Dawnsblood]

Al-Qaida is at war. And not just against the West, but with itself, says Lawrence Wright, author of The Looming Tower, the definitive account of the terrorist organization and the road leading up to the attacks of Sept. 11.

"It's very profound in the radical edge of it," says Wright, who explores the ideological rift for an article in next week's New Yorker magazine. "Before, moderate Muslims have spoken out against violence in the name of Islam, but now radicals are doing the same thing. And what's fascinating is that they're attacking on two grounds: One is that [violence is] not practical because it hasn't achieved their purposes. And secondly, it's sinful. It is placing the souls of the people who commit this violence in great jeopardy."

Wright tells NPR's Guy Raz that the two players behind the rift are Ayman Al-Zawahiri, al-Qaida's No. 2 man, and Sayyed Imam Al-Sharif, also known as Dr. Fadl. Sharif, who wrote al-Qaida's manual for jihad training, recently released a manifesto refuting those principles.

The fact that al-Qaida's architect has changed his mind, Wright says, makes violence "harder to justify using that kind of thinking."

He says al-Qaida is unraveling in some respects.

"But in some respects, they are not losing, they are regenerating. But they're still much reduced from what they were. They're clearly losing in Iraq. Their popularity all across the Muslim world is plummeting because Muslims are the main victims. And people are beginning to question the use of violence not only in the case of al-Qaida but even in resistance movements in Palestine."

[Dawnsblood]

Audio at the link.

[stockpirate]

bffl

[Need4Truth]

“they’re attacking on two grounds: One is that [violence is] not practical because it hasn’t achieved their purposes”

ie. they engage in terrorism and they die... what would appeasement on our part have accomplished?

[Nachum]

More wishful thinking from libs at NPR. Their is non-stop attempts at murder by these murderers everyday and in every part of every conflict they are in accross the globe.

[do not press 2 for spanish]

“It is placing the souls of the people who commit this violence in great jeopardy.”

What about the souls of the victims?

[giobruno]

I suspect that radical Islam is beginning to realize that they will have much greater success in attaining their aims by using western courts, institutions, and the endless credulity of the self-hating left, than through outright violence at this time. Islam needs to repackage itself as a religion of peace for a while, at least until it is in a better position to impose Islamic culture on the infidels--then the violence will resume.

[marktwain]

“I suspect that radical Islam is beginning to realize that they will have much greater success in attaining their aims by using western courts, institutions, and the endless credulity of the self-hating left, than through outright violence at this time. Islam needs to repackage itself as a religion of peace for a while, at least until it is in a better position to impose Islamic culture on the infidels—then the violence will resume.”

---

Bingo! You win the prize! This has been the pattern with Islam for centuries. Of course, a vigorous Christianity has historically been able to counter Islam. What has changed is the secularization of the West.

[steel_resolve]

Wherever they are found, hit them hard and lay them down. Most importantly, do not stop until they are wiped from the earth.

[bilhosty]

They are against violence. But, it is predictable that if you run into two Arabs that are against violence. You can bet that they are going to end up shooting each other. Our mistake was not in leaving them alone to kill each other in peace.

[Biggirl]

That is why it is important to re-Christianize the west.

[Valin]

The Rebellion Within
An Al Qaeda mastermind questions terrorism

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/06/02/080602fa_fact_wright?printable=true
Lawrence Wright

The Unraveling
The jihadist revolt against bin Laden.

http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=702bf6d5-a37a-4e3e-a491-fd72bf6a9da1
Peter Bergen and Paul Cruickshank