How much do you know about al-Qaeda?

Are you a marketer working for those in power now Wacky? Those of us alive in 1979 remember him(bin Laden)...why is that astonishing? He was in the news he was a freedom fighter we supported. We are supposed to have alzheimers and have forgotten?

Al Qaeda is only a household name now because the Bush administration seeks to make it the boogeyman of today.

Much as Souix and Apache were the boogiemen of yesterday. And you could add gooks, japs and huns to the list.

 

You could go way back and add "infidel" to list like they did during the crusades. Only it's easier no to paint all muslims as "terrorists" isn't it?

The biggests terrorists I see today are those that pit the little men against each other.

 

It is very well known that in 1979, bin Laden joined Azzam to fight the Soviet invasion. At that time he lived in Peshawar. By 1984 he established Maktab al-Khadamat, an organization that funneled money and troops into Afghanistan to fight the Soviets. In 1990 he returned to Saudi Arabia as a hero for his role in fighting the Soviets. About that time Iraq invaded Kuwait.
Bin-Laden was outraged that America (a non Islamic ally of Israel) was using Saudi soil to evict Iraq from Kuwait. He offered to do it himself, but Saudi Prince Sultan, the Minister of Defense refused his offer. He denounced the Saudi government for allowing US forces to stay in Saudi Arabia, and was soon forced to leave the country and settle in the Sudan for a while.

So yes, al-Quada members, and members of the Taliban were once united with the mujahideen and the US in their fight against the Soviets.
And yes, it has been the US foreign policy all along that has led us to the war we are involved in now.

And the invasion of Afghanistan is not about oil in Afghanistan, it is about controlling proposed oil pipelines in Afghanistan.

 

I am sorry but I am going to have to disagree with you on this. From my dealings, the majority of Americans had not heard of bin Laden until after 9/11. In fact, even after 9/11 it took some time for the public to even understand what al Qaeda was, and to truly understand the threat of Islamic extremists.

There is no doubt that terrorism is used for political reasons. There is no doubt that the threat has been used for political benefit by the Bush administration. It is unfortunate. However, it does not mean that this threat does not exist. Your beliefs seem to be swaying, no doubt from the increase in viewing conspiracy leaning web information. But could you please explain further your definition of "boogeyman"? Do you mean to imply that the entity does not exist or that it is simply used to instill fear?

 

That's right wacky. Apparently Adolph Hitler was a boogeyman too.

 

Why is it Adolph always comes up when you guys run out of logical arguments. Afterall he liked to paint other races as terrorists and a threat to the reich much as GW does. That's how he got his population and supporters to kill so many innocent people simply because of their race or religion.

 

Comparing Hitler to bin Laden makes light of what Hitler did. Just because a majority of the ill informed public was not aware of bin Laden, does not make him the all out threat that the Bush administration pushes. Some of us were aware of him long before 9/11. Remember the aspirin factory bombing in Sudan by the US? Our mishandling of policies in the middle east has created this enemy. Thousands have died in a poorly managed war. How do you justify this? This is not conspiracy, this is fact.
I agree with Gardener, Bush is a closer comparison to Hitlers policies than bin Laden. (Restricting freedoms for the national good, extreme nationalism, "islamofacists", using false information as an excuse for invasion, etc...)

BTW, do not try to call me a bin Laden supporter, I agree with nothing he has done since he began using terrorist tactics against perceived threats, just as I do not agree with Bush using the same tactics.

 

You brought it up, genius. Can't you even keep track of what you said one day ago?

 

You brought it up, genius. I guess you're admitting you can't come up with a logical argument.

 

^^^^^^^
Pepik, you brought Hitler up as a comparison to bin Laden to justify the war, Gardener brought up the huns (not Hitler) as an example of past scapegoats used by America.
So who can't come up with a logical argument?

 

You could not be more incorrect. The only thing that has created this enemy is a world that does follow this strict form of Islam. It is your lifestyle that poses a threat to these people. Read the writings of Sayyid Qutb. It was not the US presence in the Middle East that inspired this hatred. It was not the support for Israel. It was the American lifestyle. The lifestyle of late 40's America that was a threat to Islam. This is what inspired the growth of the movement. The Islamists, the militants, the terrorists, the martyrs. Don't think for a second that you are responsible for this ideology.

 

^what a load of BS.

Is there any threat to the West that wasn't funded and aided by the West. You need to wake up and stop believing everything you're told.

 

How do we get from discussing a single body, Al Qaeda to labeling all of the Islamic faith as people to be hated and feared? If your premise is that it's our lifestyle that has motivated the violence why have so many immigrated here? I would imagine you see them as sleepers, put in place to cut your throat while you sleep. Instead of possibly trying to make a more comfortable life for their families, instead of trying to live in an area that western interests keep stirring up for personal gain.

And it should be restated that most living in the Middle East don't even believe in the existence of Al Qaeda.

 

And you claim to know a lot about the Muslim Brotherhood?

 

The Brotherhood to fear is that of the powerful that wish to pit us against each other and expand this war into Iran. I say NO!

 

Hasn't Bin Laden and Al Qaeda been neutralized?

http://www.cursor.org/stories/binladenforgotten.htm

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And amazingly his videos and audio tapes crop up during every election cycle. I find it strange that the world's super power can't find an extremely tall arab after it's spent trillions and lost thousands of American lives, not to mention hundreds of thousands of local civilian lives.​

 

Where did I label all of the Islamic faith as people to be hated and feared? The point of this thread and my last response is that al Qaeda, terrorism, Islamists, is something that has a long history. A history that stretches back much farther than what most people realize. It took 9/11 for most of the public to notice the growing militant threat, and the knowledge of the history is still elementary.

It is you who are generalizing Muslims and Islam. It is our lifestyle, as well as the lifestyle of moderate muslims that has motivated violence. Anything but this strict following of Islam is a threat to their beliefs. In their belief it is acceptable to kill Muslims that do not follow the faith just as it is acceptable to kill a Christian or a Jew.

Again, you are generalizing Muslims. I do not understand what you are saying here, but I see it as irrelevant. You need to draw a line between those that practice Islam and Islamic Fundamentalists. Fundamentalists, extremists, Islamists, etc.. is what we are talking about.

Not true. This is a blanket statement most likely drawn from the claims of a few Arab leaders. Absolutely not true. Maybe we need to stop putting a name on this movement (such as al Qaeda), as this should not cause confusion as to what we are discussing. Much of the Arab world views these Islamists as a threat to themselves, their country, and their faith. I have had discussions with Muslims regarding this and the general concensus is that they ashamed that they share the same faith as these terrorists.


To help you understand the point I am trying to get across please do a brief inquiry into Ayman al-Zawahiri. There is an excellent synopsis of this individual on Wiki. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayman_Zawahiri

This is the type of history that I am talking about. This mans inspiration and hatred was not caused by the US or Israel. It cannot even be traced to a single event. He is the product of a movement.

 

Who says?... are you a Muslim or Islamic, do you even understand the difference? You've totally bought the stereotype and marketing. You are afraid, very afraid....!!!! You wish to lock them up or kill all of them to protect your children and women...when have we heard this before?

 

Maybe these videos are timed with elections as to remind the American people that he is still alive and well. Poking a finger in your eye perhaps?

I find it difficult to believe that you are taking a truly analytical unbiased approach to this subject when you make statements such as this. To bring up bin Laden being "extremely tall" as if that would have something to do with the probability of him being caught. We can discuss this in a different thread if you would like, but I would appreciate it if we could make an attempt to stay on topic.

 

You are really going out into orbit on this one. Stop. Clear your mind.