Reply #57: Scott, I didn't actually mean that al Qaeda doesn't exist

[kurtyboy]

And I don't think Scheer did either.

But they've been blown way out of proportion by the Western governments--starting with Clinton, BTW. (It seemed like every bad thing that happened to us ended up being OBL and AQ--from embassy bobmings to Somalia, fer cryin' out loud--Somolia!?!?! I still can't fathom the link between M. Aideed and OBL....)

That's the problem--every damned difficulty we have overseas gets blamed on al Qaeda--instead of us looking for a (more complex and) realistic cause. The insurgency in Iraq, for example, was not initially organized by al Qaeda, but we blamed it on them the whole time.

When we spend our time chasing the wrong people, the real villains are free to plan to really kick our asses.

As far as the database goes--I never said the it was us keeping track of the Islamic warriors (but I bet our folks have at least part of the list somewhere---didn't you ever wonder where the gang gets the stats about the enemey that they throw around to drum up support?). It is also likely that many names in the AQ database belong to warriors who lost their lives, or became incapacitated, or just lost the will to fight---it happens after a few years--settle down, raise a few little muslims, retire....

The point is, the big list, which gets cited as a way to illustrate the enormity of the threat, just cannot have been all that big after a decade and a half. SPECULATION: AQ was weak and getting weaker, and 911 was a swan song, UNTIL the US began to make them the bogeyman, attacked Iraq, and now their recruiting is stronger than ever.

WHaddayathink?

ON EDIT---I don't believe in the Devil, so save that stuff for someone else...