Dear The Reader
I obviously don't run al-Queda. I just don't have the prerequisites. For instance, I don't have a sick beard, nor do I have the willpower to live in a cave without complaining.
But I do have some criticism, mostly for their leader: Ayman al-Zawahiri.
As a terrorist group you need to be terrifying. Ayman is just an old middle eastern guy with a grey beard and bags under his eyes. First of all I wouldn't go out and proclaim myself as leader. That would paint a huge target on the back of my head. I'd find a middle aged, well built man with black hair, a thin nose and a slight hunch. He would always wear a hood and carry a gun on his back, even when shooting video updates to friends in the White House (Bin Laden referred to Obama as like a son in his first correspondence. There could have been some sort of turn around at that point maybe...).
Also, the name Ayman al-Zawahiri is just too hard to remember. Seriously, turn away from your computer and try to remember it...........that's right, it's hard. Wikipedia has a whole paragraph on how to pronounce his name, and a section on names he's used in the past.
The last criticism I have for al-Qaeda is their movements in the last 9 years. Nothing major has happened since Bali. If you want to instil fear in the people then do something. It's like gambling. You win big right at the start, which keeps you going for a while, but you need to keep winning, even if it's just once in a while. Nine years is just too long to go without a major attack, terror has turned into boredom and living in fear is so 2004.
I hope people start to realise what a joke al-Qaeda have become. They don't need to be feared anymore. Sure, keep an eye on them, but until they try anything dangerous they are not worth wasting worry over.
Educate. Entertain. Inspire.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
well I did post a comment and it went away hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
ReplyDeleteTry again, I had this comment all set up and it didn't post .....
ReplyDeleteAttempt 2, missing a lot of the first thoughts but I'll try again
1. the point of Al-Q is fear and terror, they don't need to actually do anything, maybe claim credit for some bad things but the point is it is fear and terror,
2. when would you suggest we turn attention back to them? not until after they kill or maim another hundred people or so?
Prevention is not only a preferred option, but a more politically palatable one, so here is my question for you that you really haven't raised or addressed.
3. What "should" our response be?
How should we respond to the public and to Al-Q themselves?
Clearly they think differently to us and that isn't going to change, they do not think like you so the comment you've made is pretty much a moot point without any deeper understanding of them, but how then do you suggest we in the West respond to people who don't think we have a right to live?
1. They haven't really laid claim to much recently.
ReplyDelete2. I did suggest keeping an eye on them. This may be in the form of keeping troops in the Middle East and continued support for the new democratic governments there. Prevention would have been great had the US thought of it. Not training and endorsing them would have been a good idea. Same goes for that Lybian leader, and the Iranian government, and Saddam. I didn't talk about it but I do think the US is often blinded by the love of oil. The love of oil is the root of evil ;)
3. We should respond in the same way we would respond if our neighbour was trying to threaten us. Get the cops to deal with them. Cops in this case is the military and political leaders. But as civilians we shouldn't have to worry.
You know how you can't really tell people's tone of voice on the internet, as you only have the words to go by and none of the other clues you get in face to face conversation with someone?
ReplyDeleteI can't tell how much of this is tongue in cheek and how much is in earnest. I can make a guess, but I'm working with outdated information since I haven't seen you in a while. Who knows how much you've changed in the last... three and a half years, is it?
But if I was some random person reading this, I think I would be worried for you.
Post is all tongue in cheek. Comment is not.
ReplyDelete