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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: kumar who wrote (43388)	9/12/2002 1:42:10 AM
From: KLP	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

No, Singapore reporting this tonight: Beware, Al-Qaeda might strike next on Oct 7 KLP Note: Wouldn't take the blinders off yet....wait till the coast is clear....if it ever is again... straitstimes.asia1.com.sg By B. RAMAN MADRAS - Osama bin Laden practises a special brand of punishment terrorism and rarely celebrates his successful acts by organising encores to coincide with their anniversary. He looks upon himself as God's chosen one to inflict punishment on those whom he considers to be the enemies of Islam. That is why for him, the more emotionally significant date is Oct 7 - the first anniversary this year of the commencement of the US air strikes in Afghanistan, which have to be avenged. While the whole world has been talking anxiously about 9/11, jehadis like him have been talking in eager expectation of Oct 7. A careful analysis of Osama's past acts of terrorism indicates that his acts have been in retribution for what he thought the US had done to Islam. The terrorist strikes of 9/11 were seen by him as retribution for the US bombing of Afghanistan and Sudan in October 1998. Since then, he and his followers had been warning the United States: 'You attacked the Muslims with your cruise missiles in their territory. We will attack you with our cruise missiles in your territory.' The hijacked aircraft were their cruise missiles. Osama looks upon such punishment as divinely justified acts of retribution and not as acts of terrorism. In his view, the US and Israel are the greatest enemies of Islam in the world today. There are hundreds of Muslims all over the world who agree with his view and there will be even hundreds, if not thousands, more if the US invades Iraq and has President Saddam Hussein overthrown. There is no strategic objective or tactical demand behind most acts of terrorism committed by him. He leaves this to the allies of the Al-Qaeda in the International Islamic Front for Jehad against the US and Israel. That is why there is rarely a claim of responsibility after his acts of terrorism. His terrorist outfit, Al-Qaeda, still has the capability and the required motivation, but its leadership structure is weaker than it was before 9/11. He has not been able to find a substitute for Mohammad Atef, the Egyptian ex-police officer, who was killed by the US air strikes. Atef was an organiser par excellence. Neither Ayman al-Zawahiri, the present No 2, nor Abu Zubaida, under custody reportedly in the US naval base in Diego Garcia, is a match for him. Atef ensured the physical security of Osama and translated his wishes into action. But his infrastructure is largely intact. Besides, the large number of sleeping agents of Al-Qaeda's affiliates have not received any attention. They remain ready to act at the bidding of Al-Qaeda or the International Islamic Front. Nobody in the US paid attention to what was being said earlier and paid a heavy price for it. The writer, a retired Indian senior civil servant, is the director of the Institute For Topical Studies in Madras Copyright @ 2002 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.