The Muslim Brotherhood is officially on the shit list.
We know that because Saudi Arabia has officially declared them a terrorist group. These notions don't spontaneously pop into King Abdullah's head out of nowhere.
The Brotherhood has in fact been nothing like a terror group. What the Saudi move means is that there is a bit of rebranding going on in the world 'o jihad. The al-Nusra Front and al-Qaeda have also been placed on Riyadh's Washington dictated verboten list.
This move is part and parcel of the news two days ago that most of the GCC were recalling their ambassadors from Qatar. Qatar has become the rogue state sponsoring not only the Brotherhood, but various other free-lance conglomerations of jihadis who operate outside of official US-Saudi oversight.
There was a time when Saudi money flowed freely to the many iterations of jihad terror around the Middle East and beyond. Saudi Arabia was the primariy financier of al-Qaeda for years. Bin Laden himself was financed out of Saudi Arabia.
Those days are now officially over. What brought about this U-turn?
The free-for-all in Syria. When Assad failed to follow the Washington script for regime change, random jihadi groups were given a green light to join the fray. Those myriad free-booters have proved to be well beyond the control of their financial backers, and as a result international jihad has a PR problem and their backers are pissed off.
Hence the current crack-down and consolidation.
Does the fact that Saudi Arabia has condemned al-Nusra and al-Qaeda mean we have won the war on terror?
Not at all. It means that terror groups have to buck up and do the bidding of their financial backers. No more of this random free-lance stuff where kids from Minneapolis and Winnipeg morph into "al Qaeda leaders" within six months of leaving Minneapolis and Winnipeg.
Where does that leave the Brotherhood?
The MB has been stomped on, persecuted, prosecuted, and driven underground for years. Its rise to legitimacy in Egypt and Turkey was never more than tenuous, as Morsi has found out and Erdogan will soon. It will continue as an underground organization.
Does this mean the end of al Qaeda and radical Islam? Hell no! This isn't about ending radical Islamist terror; it's about getting it under control.
Wahhabi zealots who once worked under the al-Qaeda or al-Nusra banners are simply being rebranded. Those who don't play ball and accept the US-Saudi directorship can count on a) being left out of the money & materiels supply chain, and b) finding themselves running zig-zag patterns in the desert as they try to avoid the drones with their names programmed into the guidance systems.
Once firmly under control, the jihadi hordes will be reliable allies. We'll finally be able to give them the kind of support we've been giving them all along, but now we'll be able to do it in the open.
They are an invaluable resource in the tool kit of Empire.
Showing posts with label al-Qaeda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label al-Qaeda. Show all posts
Friday, March 7, 2014
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Something's rotten in the State of Ar-Raqqah
After being told for months that Syrian government forces are making progress against the rebels, and after being told for at least a year that al-Qaeda and affiliates have sidelined the Free Syrian Army "good" rebels, we are now treated to the spectacle of a civil war within the civil war.
Earlier this year it was big news that the allegedly most powerful rebel group in the country had sworn allegiance to al-Qaeda. Since then, al-Qaeda has morphed into the "Islamist State of Iraq and Syria", and whadyaknow, the al-Nusra Front is now fighting against al-Qaeda!
Something's not adding up here, folks...
Earlier this year it was big news that the allegedly most powerful rebel group in the country had sworn allegiance to al-Qaeda. Since then, al-Qaeda has morphed into the "Islamist State of Iraq and Syria", and whadyaknow, the al-Nusra Front is now fighting against al-Qaeda!
Something's not adding up here, folks...
Monday, July 29, 2013
CIA now kid-friendly
Right there in the upper right corner of the CIA's home page you've got the CIA Kid's Zone.
Taking a page out of Baldur von Schirach's playbook, the folks at Langley have put together some fun activities for the wee ones. You've got your wordsearch, coloring pages, and so much more. It's never too early to get the tikes revved up about the security of the reich!
But let me explain what led me to the CIA's Kid Zone.
It began with this article by Carole Antony on the Counterpunch site. Antony spins a compelling and plausible yarn about, among other things, the changing of the guard in Qatar.
Seems a CIA agent hand-delivered a note from somewhere really high up in Washington to the Emir, advising him that he was outta there, and that his son Tamim would take over. The reason? Allegedly, during the bin Laden raid in Pakistan, documents came to light tying Al Qaida financing to a member of the al-Thani clan. If the old Emir had a problem with the shuffle, he was told Qatari assets around the world would be frozen.
So why is the young al-Thani considered an improvement? Because he is a Sandhurst man! He may wear the flowing robes for the photo-ops but he's one of us through and through and he'll know what's expected of him when he gets a call from Whitehall or Washington.
Antony got these fascinating facts from Osama Fawzi, a "former high-ranking member of the Qatari information ministry." Fawzi is now based in the US and runs the website Arab Times, the largest Arab-American e-newspaper in the US.
Go ahead; click on it... right below the Arab Times logo is an advert for and link to the CIA!
Which is how I got to the CIA Kid Zone, but it also raises a couple of other questions. Is this an arms length advertisement by the CIA on an independent website, or is it something else? If it's just advertising, maybe the CIA would be interested in sponsoring a NASCAR driver? I know Mark Martin would appreciate ending his career with a reliable and well-funded ride.
If it's something else... hell, maybe Osama Fawzi knows what happened to Bandar?
Taking a page out of Baldur von Schirach's playbook, the folks at Langley have put together some fun activities for the wee ones. You've got your wordsearch, coloring pages, and so much more. It's never too early to get the tikes revved up about the security of the reich!
But let me explain what led me to the CIA's Kid Zone.
It began with this article by Carole Antony on the Counterpunch site. Antony spins a compelling and plausible yarn about, among other things, the changing of the guard in Qatar.
Seems a CIA agent hand-delivered a note from somewhere really high up in Washington to the Emir, advising him that he was outta there, and that his son Tamim would take over. The reason? Allegedly, during the bin Laden raid in Pakistan, documents came to light tying Al Qaida financing to a member of the al-Thani clan. If the old Emir had a problem with the shuffle, he was told Qatari assets around the world would be frozen.
So why is the young al-Thani considered an improvement? Because he is a Sandhurst man! He may wear the flowing robes for the photo-ops but he's one of us through and through and he'll know what's expected of him when he gets a call from Whitehall or Washington.
Antony got these fascinating facts from Osama Fawzi, a "former high-ranking member of the Qatari information ministry." Fawzi is now based in the US and runs the website Arab Times, the largest Arab-American e-newspaper in the US.
Go ahead; click on it... right below the Arab Times logo is an advert for and link to the CIA!
Which is how I got to the CIA Kid Zone, but it also raises a couple of other questions. Is this an arms length advertisement by the CIA on an independent website, or is it something else? If it's just advertising, maybe the CIA would be interested in sponsoring a NASCAR driver? I know Mark Martin would appreciate ending his career with a reliable and well-funded ride.
If it's something else... hell, maybe Osama Fawzi knows what happened to Bandar?
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Bullshit story of the day
In case you missed it here is a link to a BBC story about a Hezbollah arms cache found by Nigerian authorities.
Yup, Hezbollah is keeping weapons stores in the Land 'o Good'nuff Jonathan.
I guess the wily Shiites are keeping a few RPGs out of harms way, and four thousand miles away from the Lebanon-Israel border would seem safe enough.
At least they're out of range of the IAF F-16's that haunt Lebanon's skies on a daily basis.
You have to especially like the last sentence in the BBC report; the local Boko Haram terror outfit has been getting support from al-Qaeda-linked militants in other countries.
Like Hezbollah!
The only story here is that the Goodluck government is obviously so out of luck and utterly desperate for Western support that they are making up stories beyond ridiculous.
Yup, Hezbollah is keeping weapons stores in the Land 'o Good'nuff Jonathan.
I guess the wily Shiites are keeping a few RPGs out of harms way, and four thousand miles away from the Lebanon-Israel border would seem safe enough.
At least they're out of range of the IAF F-16's that haunt Lebanon's skies on a daily basis.
You have to especially like the last sentence in the BBC report; the local Boko Haram terror outfit has been getting support from al-Qaeda-linked militants in other countries.
Like Hezbollah!
The only story here is that the Goodluck government is obviously so out of luck and utterly desperate for Western support that they are making up stories beyond ridiculous.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Statesmanship can be hard work
That could be why the likes of Prime Minister Stephen Harper might prefer the company of the "Post-UN" crowd. How much more convivial to share the smug superiority of the like-minded while exchanging "humanitarian" awards.
To attend at the General Assembly on the other hand could entail hearing unpleasant truths. Just yesterday, for example, Syria's Foreign Minister accused certain of the Nations of Virtue of "supporting terrorism."
If one defines "supporting terrorism" as the out-fitting, organizing, funding, and leading of armed insurgents in a pre-meditated campaign to overthrow the government of a sovereign nation, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem is quite correct. The countries he referred to in his speech have acknowledged as much.
In today's The Independent Kim Sengupta writes at length about the dilema facing the terror facilitators as they try to pick and choose which of the terrorists they are spiriting into Syria can be relied upon to return the heavy weapons that await them in Turkish warehouses. It is one thing to claim that you are supporting "Syrian freedom-fighters."
It's quite another when those fighters aren't Syrian and would be, under other circumstances, more than happy to turn those weapons on their benefactors. Not every lesson of the Libyan adventure has been entirely lost on the Nations of Virtue.
It is beyond dispute that a great number of the foreigners the West has been empowering in Syria would in other circumstances be labelled "al Qaeda." It has also been apparent for some time that it's exactly those fighters who have been doing by far the lions share of the heavy lifting in the armed struggle against Assad.
Syrian National Council boss Radwan Ziadeh was of course quick to denounce al-Moallem as a liar. The SNC needs to preserve what few shreds of credibility it has, and rallying the West to the support of al-Qaeda terror attacks doesn't cut it. Therefore those who speak the truth are shouted down as liars, while the liars boycott the UN and spend their time showering one another with humanitarian prizes.
This would be a great time for true statesmen to stand up for truth at the United Nations. It would be a great opportunity for the Canadian delegation to prove that they are something other than docile poodles in the NATO/US/Israel axis.
Alas, that would take courage. That would be hard work. Better to close the Iranian embassy, delegate Canadian diplomatic functions to Italy and the UK, and generally disengage from the world.
To attend at the General Assembly on the other hand could entail hearing unpleasant truths. Just yesterday, for example, Syria's Foreign Minister accused certain of the Nations of Virtue of "supporting terrorism."
If one defines "supporting terrorism" as the out-fitting, organizing, funding, and leading of armed insurgents in a pre-meditated campaign to overthrow the government of a sovereign nation, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem is quite correct. The countries he referred to in his speech have acknowledged as much.
In today's The Independent Kim Sengupta writes at length about the dilema facing the terror facilitators as they try to pick and choose which of the terrorists they are spiriting into Syria can be relied upon to return the heavy weapons that await them in Turkish warehouses. It is one thing to claim that you are supporting "Syrian freedom-fighters."
It's quite another when those fighters aren't Syrian and would be, under other circumstances, more than happy to turn those weapons on their benefactors. Not every lesson of the Libyan adventure has been entirely lost on the Nations of Virtue.
It is beyond dispute that a great number of the foreigners the West has been empowering in Syria would in other circumstances be labelled "al Qaeda." It has also been apparent for some time that it's exactly those fighters who have been doing by far the lions share of the heavy lifting in the armed struggle against Assad.
Syrian National Council boss Radwan Ziadeh was of course quick to denounce al-Moallem as a liar. The SNC needs to preserve what few shreds of credibility it has, and rallying the West to the support of al-Qaeda terror attacks doesn't cut it. Therefore those who speak the truth are shouted down as liars, while the liars boycott the UN and spend their time showering one another with humanitarian prizes.
This would be a great time for true statesmen to stand up for truth at the United Nations. It would be a great opportunity for the Canadian delegation to prove that they are something other than docile poodles in the NATO/US/Israel axis.
Alas, that would take courage. That would be hard work. Better to close the Iranian embassy, delegate Canadian diplomatic functions to Italy and the UK, and generally disengage from the world.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Top Pakistani terror suspect claims he fights against terror
Well here's a convoluted story.
The US announced a bounty this week for Hafiz Saeed, who American authorities claim was the mastermind behind the Mumbai attacks a couple of years ago.
Ten million dollars.
Only top al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri has a bigger price on his head.
Saeed is a motivational speaker of sorts in Pakistan. Goes round the country on speaking engagements. He's not a low-profile guy hiding out in the badlands. In fact, he's listed in the Islamabad phone book.
Now the Pakistani government claims he's actually been busy de-programming Islamist militants.
So who is this Hafiz Saeed? Terror boss or terrorism fighter?
Will the real Hafiz Saeed please stand up!
The US announced a bounty this week for Hafiz Saeed, who American authorities claim was the mastermind behind the Mumbai attacks a couple of years ago.
Ten million dollars.
Only top al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri has a bigger price on his head.
Saeed is a motivational speaker of sorts in Pakistan. Goes round the country on speaking engagements. He's not a low-profile guy hiding out in the badlands. In fact, he's listed in the Islamabad phone book.
Now the Pakistani government claims he's actually been busy de-programming Islamist militants.
So who is this Hafiz Saeed? Terror boss or terrorism fighter?
Will the real Hafiz Saeed please stand up!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Hamas joins al-Qaeda and Hillary Clinton in call for regime change in Syria
Well this is awkward.
It was bad enough a week ago when al-Qaeda boss al-Zawahiri endorsed Hillary's campaign to free the Syrian people. Now she's got the Hamas terror group from Gaza on board as well.
No word yet on whether Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah will throw his lot in with the anti-Assad forces, thereby creating a "terror trifecta" all rowing in the same direction as Obama and Hillary.
Not that this is primarily a Hillary/Obama problem. A number of prominent voices on the Republican side have been clamoring for more active US support for the Syrian "rebels".
In combination with the recently aired footage that shows the "unarmed protesters" of Homs to be heavily armed revolutionaries, the Hamas endorsement could be part of an elaborate climb-down on the part of the Obama administration and NATO.
After all, how can we possibly be seen as supporting al-Qaeda and Hamas?
It was bad enough a week ago when al-Qaeda boss al-Zawahiri endorsed Hillary's campaign to free the Syrian people. Now she's got the Hamas terror group from Gaza on board as well.
No word yet on whether Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah will throw his lot in with the anti-Assad forces, thereby creating a "terror trifecta" all rowing in the same direction as Obama and Hillary.
Not that this is primarily a Hillary/Obama problem. A number of prominent voices on the Republican side have been clamoring for more active US support for the Syrian "rebels".
In combination with the recently aired footage that shows the "unarmed protesters" of Homs to be heavily armed revolutionaries, the Hamas endorsement could be part of an elaborate climb-down on the part of the Obama administration and NATO.
After all, how can we possibly be seen as supporting al-Qaeda and Hamas?
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