(Obama advisor)The Elections Are Coming. Is Al-Qaida?

The Sacramento Bee ^ | August 13, 2008 | Bruce Riedel

[2ndDivisionVet]

Four years ago, while working as a senior adviser in NATO's Brussels, Belgium, headquarters, I got an up-close look at the way al-Qaida's best minds see Western elections. On March 11, 2004, Spain was rocked by perhaps the bloodiest terrorist attack in Europe since World War II, as bombs ripped apart commuter trains in Madrid, leaving nearly 2,000 Spaniards dead or injured — three days before the country went to the polls.

The incumbent party was promptly hurled out of office, and in Brussels, my colleagues and I watched as the Spanish mission began receiving drastically different instructions from Madrid. Overnight, a U.S. ally that had been an enthusiastic cheerleader for President Bush's Iraq policies became one of Bush's sharpest critics in the NATO alliance. A grieving Spanish electorate roundly rejected the war in Iraq, which it concluded had hurt Spain's security, not enhanced it.

As someone who worked on terrorism issues for decades at the CIA and elsewhere, I found the most striking thing about the Madrid bombings to be the sophistication of the jihadists' grasp of electoral timing. The bombers seemed to have been encouraged by al-Qaida's terrorist infrastructure in Iraq, which scoped out Spanish vulnerability weeks before the election, analyzed the fault line in the NATO alliance and concluded that a bloody blow could drive hawkish Spain out of the Iraq war coalition. That al-Qaida in Iraq analysis was distributed on jihadist Web sites in December 2003, and their cohorts in Madrid took careful note.

If it happened in Spain, it can happen here.

[Cindy]

That’s a very good question.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

If it happens here, it will just make the electorate angry and determined to get revenge.

[DB]

They would get the opposite results of Spain.

Most Americans would not want to “talk” to the attackers. They would want them hunted down and eliminated.

[Truth29]

After the reports of Obama representative contacts with the Marxist rebels in Columbia, it wouldn't surprise me if there are indirect contacts with Al Qaeda and other Islamist terrorist organizations to discuss items of mutual interest. Al Qaeda would not want to do anything that would hurt the candidate who's mode of operation id dialog and accommodation.

[RetiredArmy]

Yes, but they’ll be working the Obama booths handing out buttons, t-shirts and more of his kool-aid.

They’ll be joined by Hamas cheerleaders...

And their Che Cuban communist lovers down in Texas with their Che teeshirts, flags and banners at the Obama communist sign up office.

[singfreedom]

Oops, I read as far as the “in the interest of disclosure: I'm an adviser for Barrrrrrack Obamination” and couldn't read any more. Surely, Mr. Riedel realizes an attack, before the election, would assure John McCain's election. I think VERY FEW Americans would find the Obamination a suitable choice under those circumstances.

In light of Obama’s own “soft” words on Islamofacists, I find this fella’s warnings of terrorist attacks around election time, political doublespeak of the most vile sort.

[singfreedom]

Another very real possibility would be for them to try to eliminate John McCain. That way election of the candidate, favored by terrorists everywhere, would be assured.

I hope Mr. McCain is very, very, careful!

[Talking_Mouse]

Yes, but they’ll be working the Obama booths handing out buttons, t-shirts and more of his kool-aid.

Since then, al-Qaida has built a far more secure safe haven in the lawless badlands of Pakistan, including a much more active and agile propaganda apparatus, an in-house media studio known as as-Sahab ("the clouds" in Arabic, a reference to its being hidden somewhere in the Hindu Kush)... The studio even produces its own coffee mugs now, complete with as-Sahab logo.

[Matthew James]

And ok, here I go, stepping on the third rail, but... In connection with this story the question needs to be asked:

Which candidate has connections with people who have already bombed US police facilities, the Pentagon, etc?

Am I saying that I think that candidate is planning such things? No. But the cast of nefarious characters that he (and for that matter MUCH of the DemonRat Party) surrounds himself with may have other crazy ideas.

And what kind of connections (through his friends in the "Nation of Islam") does he have with extremists in the Middle East?

These questions are uncomfortable, but need to be asked.

[tgusa]

Spot on. Americans are not (for the moment anyway) Euro-weenie socialist wussies.

[RetiredArmy]

No argument from me. I agree. No conspiracy theories either. I just firmly believe they are there and they do have a vested interest in the USA leaving the middle east and down sizing of the military. They see a socialist president in the USA as a huge weakness and a positive for them. They have Che lovers in Texas, why not muzzies some where else. They certainly flocked to see him in Berlin.

[singfreedom]

I wonder if the Obamassiah has returned the campaign funds he received from terrorists in the Gaza Strip? It was over $30,000, and was, therefore, illegal on 2 separate grounds. Foreign contributions are illegal, as are amounts over $2500 per individual.

[Caipirabob]

Actually, I could see an Obama/Al Queda coordinated attack used as an excuse for an Obama defeat. Obama would claim that the administration failed to provide adequate protection to minority/liberal populated areas, driving down voter turnout in favor of McCain. He'd use that to cast doubt on McCain's elected status and undermine his Presidency. Yeah, it's anger the electorate but knowing that Obama's going down in flames anyway, they can effectively cripple the next administration.

[singfreedom]

Somehow, I'm not surprised.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

They know not to attack before the election.

But if Obama is elected, I predict there will be a major attack in his first 6 months and that he will quickly try to appease those who want to kill us or enslave us.

Communism and Islamofascism, just two different forms of slavery.

[Joe Boucher]

“If it happened in Spain, it can happen here”.
I don’t think so. We are Americans, not chicken pooh french or Spaniards.
Americans don’t like being told what to do or forced to do anything. We also don’t take kindly to threats or force.
These GODless heathen mooselimbs hit here with the twin towers of N.Y. GOD won’t be able to help them if they hit hard here again. At least not if McCain is the president. Course if Obamma Lamma Ding Dong is the president all bets are off. He’ll probably help the moosies bomb America.