Review and Comment on National Security News

National Security Online ^ | August 7 2003 | Christopher Holton

[LSUfan]

The bombing of the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad has all the appearances of an al Qaeda job. The most significant evidence is the fact that it occurred on the heels of the truck bomb in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is all too easy for Americans to look at these incidents tens of thousands of miles apart and assume that they are unrelated. But in the Muslim world and in the mind of an al Qaeda planner, they are perfect complements to one another.

I haven't seen much speculation in the media that the Baghdad bomb may be the work of al Qaeda. Most pundits are assuming the attack was carried out by the remnants of the Saddam Hussein regime.

I don't think so. Jordan has already been targeted by Islamist terrorists. Jordan recently granted safe haven to Saddam's daughters. While Jordan did allow US forces to stage out of their territory in limited numbers during the invasion, its help was not nearly as crucial to the allied cause as the basing rights granted by nations like Kuwait, Qatar and even Oman. Why would Saddam target Jordan over these nations?

I don't think he did. I think al Qaeda targeted the Jordanian embassy as part of its ongoing battle against secular regimes that have been friendly to the west. I think they also saw that it might do damage to the US occupation and rebuilding effort in Iraq as an added benefit.

I also believe that the bomb in Jakarta was aimed at America as well. It was an American hotel in an area frequented by Americans.

This is just another reminder that we are still engaged in a war with a brutal enemy who will think nothing of taking scores of innocent lives to further their cause. What exactly is their cause? To kill us all or make us convert to their perverted version of Islam.

[LSUfan]

I believe since this was written early today the Army has in fact come out and said the investigation is focusing on al Qaeda.

[Poohbah]

AQ cells are running around without "adult supervision."

[LSUfan]

Touche'

[Asclepius]

I think al Qaeda targeted the Jordanian embassy as part of its ongoing battle against secular regimes that have been friendly to the west.

I think the author needs a nap.

[.cnI redruM]

And at the same time, Al 'Quaida' Gore is in front of MoveOn giving aid and comfort to the enemy....

[Poohbah]

It was a line originally used by Jim Dunnigan, who pointed out that one of the jobs of the (now mostly deceased or Gitmo'd) senior leadership of AQ was to put a damper on the junior fire-eaters, turning off ops that would tend to inflame Islamic world opinion against AQ. Now, the fire-eaters are left to their own devices, and they're getting the Moose-limb world riled up against AQ.

[LSUfan]

OK. Why? Isn't Jordan secular? Hasn't Jordan been considered at least moderate among Arab states?

[LSUfan]

I love Dunnigan's site. StrategyPage.

[TD911]

I heard it may be an Anti-Saddam faction.

They are pissed because Jordan is harboring Saddam's daughters.

[LSUfan]

Sounds like hogwash to me. What's your source?

[Poohbah]

I've been a Dunnigan fan since 1977, when I got PanzerBlitz for my 12th birthday.

[hchutch]

Picked up "How to Make War" in a local library while I was still in high school (1991-1992 timeframe). Loved it - got all the editions.