Iraq War Revitalized Al-Queda

[Aaron]

LONDON - The war in Iraq has boosted membership in al-Qaeda and helped revitalize the network, a London-based think-tank warned Tuesday.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies says the recent bombings in Spain, Turkey and Saudi Arabia show the network has fully recovered after losing its base in Afghanistan.

The report, cited by BBC News Online, says the network run by Osama bin Laden is growing.

It quotes intelligence estimates as saying al-Qaeda is active in 60 countries and has "18,000 potential terrorists at large."

Diluted anti-terrorism efforts

The IISS report says the war in Iraq diluted international anti-terrorism efforts, while at the same time focusing the energies and resources of al-Qaeda.

It says U.S. forces in Iraq have become the most attractive terrorist target outside of the United States.

The report adds that to help reverse the situation, America must appear to be far more cooperative with other countries rather than acting on its own in the international arena.

The ISS has issued an almost identical report before.

In May 2003, the institute said the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq helped bin Laden sell his vision of a world-wide clash between Islam and the West.

Then again last October, the institute said the war in Iraq had helped revitalize al-Qaeda.

Is anyone really surprised?

[Elfdart]

I'm not surprised. Bush and Blair might just as well have handed Osama truckloads of boxcutters, C-4, and plane tickets. The fact that Numbnuts has planted 800 troops and bogged down 200,000 (135,000 in Iraq, the rest stateside: recuperating or on leave), must have encouraged Al-Qaeda.

Another thing that must have emboldened them was the fact that during the 2000 campaign, Dubya claimed that two entire divisions of the Army were unfit for duty. Aside from the claim being a fucking lie, it brings up a question: If you were an enemy of the US, wouldn't you be licking your chops and at least think of fucking with Uncle Sam?

[Pablo Sanchez]

No surprises, this possibility was brought up before the war. Amusingly, many of the antebellum liberal fears which were dismissed by the hawks have come crushingly true. The Arab world is pissed off, the Iraqis hate us, it has strengthened Al-Qaeda and weakened us, and the country is definitely approaching quagmire status.

[Durandal]

Saddam was a bad man.
No one can argue that Iraq isn't better off without Saddam.
If you criticize the war or the government, you must love Saddam Hussein and hate America.

I wonder if this bullshit will ever come out of Bush's mouth sounding as tired as it is.

[Sarevok]

Bush is trying to fight fire by pouring gasoline on it. By attacking Iraq he pissed of muslims and many of them now support Al-Queda.

[Ma Deuce]

Bush is trying to fight fire by pouring gasoline on it.

Give him some credit: In his eternal stupidity, he probably thought it was water .

[Howedar]

I agree with the gist of this report, but this

The International Institute for Strategic Studies says the recent bombings in Spain, Turkey and Saudi Arabia show the network has fully recovered after losing its base in Afghanistan.

is bullshit. Partial recovery is obvious, but it's asinine to claim that Al Qaeda has fully recovered. A few bombings does not demonstrate such a recovery.

[Sarevok]

The fact that Al-Queda could not pull off spectacular terrorist acts like the september 11 attacks in the last few years shows that they have not fully recovered.

[Howedar]

Also false. I haven't driven to California today, does that mean that I am incapable of driving to California.

[Alan Bolte]

On the plus side, I can still say my opinion of the world has improved since the week before Sept. 11, when I was wondering why shit like 9/11 didn't happen on a monthly basis.