Why Al-Qaeda is For Real

There is nothing static about what’s happening in the Middle East, no matter how rigid the views of both sides in the current Iraq congressional debate. A big part of the dynamic is al-Qaeda’s rising influence.

Lawrence Wright is author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book on al-Qaeda, The Looming Tower. He recently told a radio audience that we must take very seriously the al-Qaeda threat:

Al Qaeda is more diversified now than it was in the past. It’s really four separate organizations. There’s al Qaeda in North Africa, which is very much more important an entity now than it had been, an organization called the Salafist group for preaching in combat, which is centered mainly in Algeria, has now switched its allegiance to al Qaeda. And they have a training camp in Mali. . . Secondly, there is al Qaeda in Iraq, which is really the heart and soul of al Qaeda right now, and that’s where the main effort is. It’s where the jihadis are going to be trained. And when that conflict is over, they will be returning to their own countries, and into the West to cause additional havoc. And then there is al Qaeda in Europe, which is a very widespread, loosely connected, centered largely in London in England, but also in the outskirts of Paris, and in Italy. It’s all over. . . Europe.

And then finally, there’s the mother ship, which is headquartered in Pakistan. So those four entities are loosely connected, but have a common cause, and are still directed overall by bin Laden. . .there’s no one else in al Qaeda with his authority. That’s why bin Laden remains relevant. He can tell them where to go, he can resolve disputes.

. . . al Qaeda [is] a death culture. . . Arabs. . .who had come to fight against the Soviets on behalf of the Afghans. . . camped outside in white tents on an open field. [Asked] “what are you thinking? You know, the Soviet Air Force can easily see you. They’ll wipe you out.“ one of the Arabs responded by saying “But we came to die.” . . wherever I’d run into [these Arab jihadis,] they would freely say that it was death that they sought, not victory. . . They wanted to become martyrs. That’s the soil in which al Qaeda was planted.

. . . the actual training is very important. So eliminating the sanctuary in Afghanistan was extremely important. But far from being homeless now, al Qaeda has new sanctuaries. . . Mali . . .the tribal areas of Pakistan. . . Somalia . . . the western provinces of Iraq, and . . . Afghanistan.

. . .al Qaeda’s making inroads into the Palestinian community. And of course, this is a terrible development. . . there’s a nihilistic element involved in these young men that turn to al Qaeda.

. . . What makes us safer is the fact that the average American Muslim makes a higher wage than the average American, is twice as likely to go to college, is much less likely to go to prison. Compare that with the situation in France, where you have about 10% of the population is Muslim, 50% of the prisoners are. The degree of alienation and marginalization that is felt in the Islamic communities in Europe is so stark by comparison with the integration of American Muslims into our society.

[Al Qaeda sees] terrorism as theater, but also, they have an appetite for blood. This really sets them apart from most terrorist groups in history. They want to kill as many people as they can. So they would like to have a big spectacular, and I think one of the reasons we haven’t had smaller attacks in the U.S.

. . . al Qaeda is distracted by Iraq, [it’s] occupying most of their energies. And what I worry about is when that conflict begins to wind down, and the people that have gotten all that training there begin to return to their own countries, or back into the West.