CNN.com: Al Qaeda is over (post by Fareed Zakaria)

[Destino]

In the wake of Osama bin Laden’s death, a number of people are saying that this does not mean that al Qaeda has been destroyed. Some argue that the organization may, in fact, be thriving. Front-page articles in both The New York Times and The Washington Post make this claim. Many officials from Obama downward are saying this.

I understand why officials have to say this. They want to be cautious. They don’t want to overpromise.

But the truth is this is a huge, devastating blow to al Qaeda, which had already been crippled by the Arab Spring. It is not an exaggeration to say that this is the end of al Qaeda in any meaningful sense of the word.

Al Qaeda is not an organization that commands massive resources. It doesn’t have a big army. It doesn’t have vast reservoirs of funds that it can direct easily across the world.

Al Qaeda was an idea and an ideology, symbolized by an extremely charismatic figure in Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden was this Saudi prince-like figure who had gone into the mountains of Afghanistan forsaking the riches of a multibillion-dollar fortune, fought against the Soviets, demonstrated personal bravery and then crafted a seductive message about Islam and Islamic extremism as a path to destroy the corrupt regimes of the Middle East

http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/02/al-qaeda-is-dead/?hpt=T1

I don't agree that they are "done" like Fareed Zakaria does in the above. I do however think that a group without a nation structure will find it nearly impossible to succeed with their symbol torn down. Symbols are incredibly powerful and should never be underestimated in value. Our own anthem states "Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there." Al Qaeda is not a nation built on rich traditions, they are a group of people largely following a man.

Since the war on terror began they have lost some of their best leaders, the nation that gave them safe harbor, and now their leader and symbol. The enemy can't escape the reality that they are close to total defeat. I'd be surprised if they didn't start seeing their ranks diminish even further by folks just walking away.

[SkinsHokieFan]

AQ has been dead for half a decade now. Their last hurrah was in 2006 in Iraq.

There is an article I have posted several times in the tailgate written in 2008 talking about how AQ was all but eliminated as an influential force in the middle east.

The article I posted yesterday confirms this. AQ is dead.

Terrorism though is not. We must still be vigiliant, but it is certainly time to scale back the police state

[Teller]

What's the status of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (Yemen?) Not trying to be a smartass, legitimate question.

[RedskinsTime]

I'll trust the defense and intelligence community to determine if the threat from Al Qaeda is dead.

[The Brave Little Toaster Oven]

I see it falling apart now that OBL is dead - tons of infighting on who will succeed him will lead to a weakening of the organization

[Elessar78]

I'll take heat for drawing a parallel between early Christianity to Al Qaeda. But there you had a small pocket of fervent believers with little resources against the powerful Roman Empire. The point IS NOT that Al Qaeda is like Christianity, but that ideologies are hard to kill. Timing seems good though, because of the revolution occurring throughout the Arab world.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

I really like Zakaria, but he seems really drawn to the idea of "making history." So, he is prone to these kind of broad statements. I did see a panel with him and Ari Fleischer last night where he essentially de-pantsed Ari and started kicking him in the butt so that was fun.

Al Qaeda will probably always exist in some form the way American La Cosa Nostra will always exist in some form. The question is, What can it do? Right now, I'm not sure Al Qaeda can do much more than blow up the occasional coffee shop in Yemen. That's obviously not good if you like coffee and live in Yemen, but from a big geo-political picture, it's not a big problem. I don't think they can ever grow into a large-scale global threat again unless another deep-pocketed, charismatic, credentialed leader emerges.

[TheGoodBits]

I really like Zakaria' date=' but he seems really drawn to the idea of "making history." So, he is prone to these kind of broad statements. I did see a panel with him and Ari Fleischer last night where he essentially de-pantsed Ari and started kicking him in the butt so that was fun.. [/quote']

I agree with this about Zakaria. Since he's been at CNN he's definitely had much more a tendency to try to make headlines. Before he would just hit you with the occasional ***** slap of wisdom and then sit there and watch you take it in. Not so much now that he's got a show that he has to do every day.

[Chump Bailey]

AQ has been dead for half a decade now. Their last hurrah was in 2006 in Iraq.

Agreed - we've smoked them. Most of AQ's leadership (I believe) are dead as are most of the hardcore followers. Zawahiri is smart and dangerous, but I think he is more interested in self-preservation & self-aggrandizing more than anything else.

[Thiebear]

Alqaeda learned the same thing Japan learned, once woken we are unstoppable.

We turned over 2 countries and are now responsible for a couple more. Bush will get some credit as the predecessor of President Obama's victories. What is forgotten is the Clinton Bosnia victory against the wishes of the United Nations.

The CIA chief, Afghanistan leader switch is a brilliant move and shows that information and action are at the very top of our priorities. Everyone noticed.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

The question is' date=' What can it do? Right now, I'm not sure Al Qaeda can do much more than blow up the occasional coffee shop in Yemen. That's obviously not good if you like coffee and live in Yemen, but from a big geo-political picture, it's not a big problem.[/quote']

[Predicto]

I'll trust the defense and intelligence community to determine if the threat from Al Qaeda is dead.

They are never going to say that the threat from AQ is dead. It is their job to protect us from threats, and they can never be absolutely certain, so they will never say that. That is how they operate, and mostly it is a good way for them to look at things.

[Elessar78]

Yeah, it just takes one independent terrorist to claim an attack for AQ and the defense/intelligence community looks like a bunch of idiots.

[CrypticVillain]

Bin Laden was old, he was going to die eventually. Because of that, I am pretty sure they have a plan that would go in effect after his death. Now rather his son was part of that plan might matter how soon it will go in effect, but I think they are not dead. I am not a military/politic/terrorist expert, I am just using some good ole' common sense.

Rather they are done or not, we better not let down for one second. If it happened once, it can happen again......

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

Bin Laden was old, he was going to die eventually. Because of that, I am pretty sure they have a plan that would go in effect after his death. Now rather his son was part of that plan might matter how soon it will go in effect, but I think they are not dead. I am not a military/politic/terrorist expert, I am just using some good ole' common sense.

Rather they are done or not, we better not let down for one second. If it happened once, it can happen again......

You are also acting as if Al Qaeda was a true structured organization with a heirarchy like an organized crime family.

The death of Bin Laden is huge on two fronts: 1) Symbolism and 2) Money.

Unless there is another son of a billionaire in the Middle East with radical views and a messianic complex, Al Qaeda is never going to have the resources it did at its height. And that billionaire needs to have UBL's height and charisma and a history of actually fighting in the trenches against the decadent West. The best way to think of this is that Al Qaeda lost both its George Washington and Robert Morris in one death. (Not that I'm making a straight comparsion, it's an analogy).

Also, he wasn't that old. He was 54.

[mardi gras skin]

http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/02/al-qaeda-is-dead/?hpt=T1Since the war on terror began they have lost some of their best leaders, the nation that gave them safe harbor, and now their leader and symbol. The enemy can't escape the reality that they are close to total defeat. I'd be surprised if they didn't start seeing their ranks diminish even further by folks just walking away.

Now, how does this narrative fit with the alternative narrative that the war on terror is creating multiple future terrorists for each current terrorist we kill.

[twa]

Symbolism to crazies can easily be maintained or even enhanced by his death

If the intel we got helps on the money trail and a few others things I will feel a bit more comfortable

The splintered groups united on more than Osama

[mardi gras skin]

http://www.salon.com/news/afghanistan/index.html?story=/opinion/greenwald/2010/04/12/afghanistan

The extreme paradox of our actions in the Muslim world is now well-documented: namely, the very policies justified in the name of fighting Terrorism (invasions, occupations, bombings, lawless detentions, etc.) are the precise ones that most inflame and exacerbate that threat.

[Bang]

Bin Laden was old, he was going to die eventually. Because of that, I am pretty sure they have a plan that would go in effect after his death. Now rather his son was part of that plan might matter how soon it will go in effect, but I think they are not dead. I am not a military/politic/terrorist expert, I am just using some good ole' common sense.

Rather they are done or not, we better not let down for one second. If it happened once, it can happen again......

54 is old?

Not on this planet.

~Bang

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

Now, how does this narrative fit with the alternative narrative that the war on terror is creating multiple future terrorists for each current terrorist we kill.

When was that ever the narrative?

The concern is that we create a future terrorist for every civilian we kill. And there were a lot of civilians dying unnecessarily in Iraq in the middle part of the last decade.

[CrypticVillain]

Bin Laden was only 54? :doh: Then he must of had some illness then. I could have sworn he was dieing.

---------- Post added May-3rd-2011 at 04:33 PM ----------

You are also acting as if Al Qaeda was a true structured organization with a heirarchy like an organized crime family.

The death of Bin Laden is huge on two fronts: 1) Symbolism and 2) Money.

Unless there is another son of a billionaire in the Middle East with radical views and a messianic complex' date=' Al Qaeda is never going to have the resources it did at its height. And that billionaire needs to have UBL's height and charisma and a history of actually fighting in the trenches against the decadent West. The best way to think of this is that Al Qaeda lost both its George Washington and Robert Morris in one death. (Not that I'm making a straight comparsion, it's an analogy).

Also, he wasn't that old. He was 54.[/quote']

If you say so. I already declared I had no facts to back up my statement.

Edit:We still should remain on high alert, somebody will try to attack us again.

[Bang]

Bin Laden was only 54? :doh: Then he must of had some illness then. I could have sworn he was dieing.

.

He did require dialysis, as I understand, and the grey tinge in his beard probably led people to believe he was older.

I know i did for a while, til i looked it up. I was rather surprised to see he wasn't in his late 60s.

~Bang

[AsburySkinsFan]

I wish I could be as hopeful as Fareed, but I see OBL's death as being a big shock with some localized repercussions, but from what I understand Al Qaeda has morphed from a single snake with one head to several snakes working along side one another.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

I'll take heat for drawing a parallel between early Christianity to Al Qaeda. But there you had a small pocket of fervent believers with little resources against the powerful Roman Empire. The point IS NOT that Al Qaeda is like Christianity, but that ideologies are hard to kill. Timing seems good though, because of the revolution occurring throughout the Arab world.

How about Nazism? Hitler, the charasmatic leader and rallying force, died and Nazism with him. There are still Neo-Nazi's running around doing bad things but they are irrelevant for the most part.

Or Communism? The Soviet Union, the structure and funding of the world wide movement, collapses and now Communism is largely irrelevant. You still have clowns like Chavez but for the most part Communism as an ideology is a sideshow more tthan anything. (And yes, I didn't forget China. But they are hardly hardcore Marxists at this point, and they have never been dedicated to spreading the ideology like the Soviets were--where it was an essential part of not only their foreign policy, but to their entire existence.)

[twa]

http://www.salon.com/news/afghanistan/index.html?story=/opinion/greenwald/2010/04/12/afghanistan

Abandoned along with the ant-war coverage and body counts