December 14, 2003

Resources get moved Osama plays where he gets most bang for the buck
posted by stirfry 20 years ago
  • Opportunists..eh? One side of the mouth says "Al Qaeda's leadership "viewed the Iraqis, particularly the military and security services, as corrupt, irreligious and hypocritical in that they succumb to Western vices while concurrently remaining at war with the United States," the report says, summarizing Mr. Zubaydah's statements. "The Iraqis were not viewed as true jihadists, and there was doubt amongst the senior Al Qaeda leadership on the depth of Saddam's commitment to destroy Israel and further the cause of cleansing the Holy Land of infidel influences or presence." ..but now the situation has changed and the Great Satan is showing some weak spots. I find it to be a serious error in judgement when the USofA for one disbanded the Iraqi military and secondly, decided that only the true red white and blue should get the spoils of war.
  • Abu Nidal lived (and was eventually murdered) in Baghdad for a great deal of his professional life. Perhaps the Iraqi were bad Muslims, but they historically supported at least some terrorists. Perhaps they were just choosy about the company they preferred to keep, but I don't see where keeping the Iraqi Army intact would have helped here. Although they would have gladly gone back to war against the Iranians, I doubt they would have done anything against, or for, al-Qaeda. Unofficially, of course, Iraq was probably not on al-Qaeda's list of havens, especially with the likes of Syria, Saudi Arabia and the occupied territories nearby. As for war "spoils", there's no prohibition, so far as I know, against coalition-country corporations subcontracting work out to companies from any other country, including those that opposed the US, et al in the Iraq War. The ban is a PR move of the a rather transparent sort.
  • Wow, intersting to look back on this two years later. Iraq was probably not on al-Qaeda's list of havens, especially with the likes of Syria, Saudi Arabia and the occupied territories nearby. I'd agree, though it seems it's a popular place for "live-fire exercises" these days.
  • Wow I'd forgotten about that article homunculus linked. I had even allowed as fact that the Iraqi agent had met with Al-Qaeda (although that's not any kind of link for invading Iraq . . Shrubya/Cheney/Rummy ya big dumbasses).