Manipulating US elections is not an Al-Qaeda goal
By Shibley Telhami
Monday, July 26, 2004
The warning by the US Department of Homeland Security that Al-Qaeda may be preparing to disrupt the presidential election has been sounded with little assessment of the terrorist organization's aims.
Some have questioned the extent to which the Bush administration may be using such warnings for political reasons, but few have challenged the notion that Al-Qaeda seeks to replicate its Madrid attack on the eve of the Spanish election for the presumed goal of defeating President George W. Bush.
In fact, while Al-Qaeda is constantly trying to prepare massive acts of horror on US soil, replacing the Bush administration is not likely to be one of its objectives. Broadly, there are two possible goals for Al-Qaeda as an organization. (snipped)
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=6608
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Worry about Pakistan, not Iran
By Richard Bulliet
Monday, July 26, 2004
Washington has disclosed a nugget of uncorroborated intelligence extracted from a detainee: Iran granted free passage to Al-Qaeda terrorists before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. This, combined with long-simmering concern over the Islamic Republic's nuclear capabilities and intentions, has put Iran back on the neoconservative front burner. (snipped)
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=6607#
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Karzai postpones visit to Pakistan
* Afghan president may sack his defence minister
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday postponed his official visit to Pakistan. It was scheduled to begin on Monday.
President Hamid Karzai called President Pervez Musharraf on Sunday to request a delay Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan said in a brief press statement. The statement said the next dates for President Karzai's visit would be worked out through diplomatic channels shortly. Both Mr Karzai and President Pervez Musharraf have agreed to reschedule the trip in the near future, Mr Karzai office said in a statement. (snipped)
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_26-7-2004_pg1_8
"And instead of the war in Afghanistan being the end of Al-Qaeda, the terror group appears to have regained the capacity to plan massive attacks with a presence in over 60 countries; Iraq can be added as a new hospitable base of operations."
The Muslim writer in that first article you linked is wrong with this comment! He is being blatantly disingenuous. Right after 911, GWB repeatedly stated that the war on terror was a long-term effort. The writer is so wrongly and deliberately painting GWB and the U.S. as the culprits instead of al qaeda and all the Muslim and Arab nation supporters of terrorism. GROWL!