Tuesday, September 16, 2008

One US official: al-Qaeda is "imploding"

Another: "al-Qaeda is the most potent threat to the United States." As usual, then: you decide. "US officials: Al-Qaida unpopular and 'imploding,'" by Pamela Hess for the Associated Press, September 15: WASHINGTON (AP) — Top U.S. counterterrorism officials Monday said al-Qaida is "imploding" and that its violent tactics have turned Muslims worldwide against the organization. "Absolutely it's imploding. It's imploding because it's not a message that resonates with a lot of Muslims," said Dell Dailey, the State Department's coordinator for counterterrorism.

Al-Qaida still remains the most dangerous threat to the United States. But of growing concern are organizations like Lebanese Hezbollah and Hamas, which combine social services, local governance, national politics with extremist attacks, said Undersecretary of State James Glassman.

"These are models that have a lot more popular appeal than al-Qaida, that has almost no popular appeal," he said.[...]

Social services aside, still, al-Qaeda -- not Hamas or Hezbollah -- is the organization that managed to strike the great Western infidel on 9/11, thereby elevating its "popular appeal" with millions of Muslims.
U.S. intelligence agencies caution against predicting al-Qaida's demise too soon, noting its Pakistan safe harbor and the persistent efforts of its affiliates to conduct attacks in North Africa and elsewhere.

[...]

Despite these apparent fissures, al-Qaida is the most potent threat to the United States, according to U.S. intelligence officials and reports...

.

No comments: