It's too easy to blame bin Laden

[HuckleB]

It's too easy to blame bin Laden

http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,2763,1297674,00.html

"Heads of security services and governments around the world have something in common with Osama bin Laden. They all stand to benefit from exaggerating the capabilities of al-Qaeda.

The idea that bin Laden is a global terrorist mastermind, able to engender violence worldwide, flatters him and helps in the competition with other terrorist outfits for recruits and funds. The benefits of myth-making are also clear to the Russians (and the Uzbeks, Filipinos and Algerians, to name but three serial human-rights abusing governments who constantly claim, disingenuously, that the insurgents that they are fighting in their respective lands are linked to 'al-Qaeda').

Active participation in the 'war against terror' triggers a flood of material and moral support from Washington as well as legitimising tactics the West otherwise wouldn't approve of. It means long-term grudges underpinning any insurgency - discrimination, economic mismanagement, repression - can be ignored and the 'al-Qaeda bogeyman' blamed instead.

So it is unsurprising Russian security services have, on the basis of 10 'citizens of the Arab world' being among 20 militants killed in the hostage siege last week, decided that the operation was the work of 'al-Qaeda'.

..."

[CaOs]

1. I think You are on to something

While bin Laden isn't poor, he's not worth the $300 million once believed. Nor is he thought to be directly financing his terror group with his personal wealth or a network of businesses in Sudan, where he operated from 1991 to 1996.

"There has been a revision of collective thinking," said Kenneth Katzman, a Congressional Research Service expert who has studied terror groups. "The new thinking is that bin Laden's fortune didn't really enter into al Qaeda that much, or wasn't the driving force in al Qaeda."

<http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/09/02/binladen.wealth.ap/index.html>

[The Straight Story]

2. Something intelligent

Finally on the subject. And too it reminds me of the 'Bush did it' I keep seeing all over the net (my dog got hit by a car because I lost my job and I went out for an interview and he ran out, which would not have occured had bush not been in office). Basically, I see osama being treated the same way - anything which has to do with crime and being muslim (or from ME in general) can be traced to osama (and one way they do that is to say the person had heard of him, thought his goals were noble, and wanted to emulate him - so even when he is not directly involved he is spiritually enabling people...)

Osama is either dead or dying, I doubt he has much power left (and not enough funds to help others at any rate). IF he is captured before the election it may well give bush a boost, but a larger concern is will it touch off a wave of terrorism in his name?

Gonna be a rough november folks, kerry on!

[gumby]

3. Headline News

was blathering something about bin Laden being close to being captured or other such nonsense tonight.

[CaOs]

4. But....

If Bin Laden is not the top guy, his capture is irrelevent. It may be the political oposition in response to his capture.