NP? tid-bits

[pynchonoid]

"AMERICA should never allow the concerns of allies or
worries of the public to dictate its military aims,
according to Donald Rumsfeld, the US Defence
Secretary."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-447462,00.html


http://www.news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1141582002
THE fragmented structure of al-Qaeda means the
culprits behind the bombing need not be linked
directly to Osama bin Laden’s terror network, experts
have claimed. 

Peter Bergen a writer on terrorism has compared
al-Qaeda to a cluster of grapes: both tied together
and separate. Some groups share training and personnel
with al-Qaeda; others identify more with its ideology
and outlook. 

Mr Bergen, the author of Holy War Inc, a best-selling
book on al-Qaeda, said finding the exact culprits was
not essential. 

"It doesn’t really matter in the end. Let’s say it is
nothing to do with al-Qaeda. Is that a cause for
comfort? I don’t think so. Because then, we are moving
into a new phase of leaderless resistance where people
are doing things on their own." 

Strobe Talbot, the former US deputy secretary of
state, famously described al-Qaeda as the "ultimate
non-governmental organisation" - like a charity or
interest group with world-wide ties. President George
Bush has said it has members in 60 countries,
including the US. [..]

Mr Bergen added: "Al-Qaeda as a distinct group began
by attacking US government or military targets, or
highly symbolic American targets. They ended with the
twin towers in New York, but began with US warships,
military bases, and embassies. Now, with the attack on
the oil tanker in Yemen and this attack on Bali, they
have well understood that the way they really got to
the Americans was with the economic impact of 11
September." 

Bin Laden gloated in one of his videotapes that the 11
September attacks cost the US economy $1.4 trillion
dollars. 

"Economic targets are much softer than military or
diplomatic targets," said Mr Bergen. "Most Americans
or most Europeans don’t work in the World Trade
Centre. But everybody knows a friend who has gone to
Bali on vacation, and we all rely on the oil, for our
economy. 



http://www.nydailynews.com/news/story/26599p-25271c.html
No tidal wave of recruits 
to fight Saddam 
By JOSE MARTINEZ
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER 



jbor:
>Using these weapons to stop terrorism is vastly
>different to using them to
>initiate terrorism.

Depends on how you define "terrorism"  -- you have to
specify a priori that the US can't be guilty of
terrorism in order to create a definition that won't
cover US actions and those of its terrorist opponents
-- and of course many of those opponents are creatures
of the US in the first place, now out of favor for one
or another reason (e.g., running the Taliban out in
order to give the drug-dealing warlords control over
Afghanistan again), see below...


http://www.intellnet.org/news/2002/08/12/10862-1.html

By SLOBODAN LEKIC, Associated Press 

JAKARTA, Indonesia (August 12, 2002 2:30 p.m. EDT) -
Despite a $50 million U.S. aid package and a push by
Washington to renew military ties, a new report
suggests Indonesia's military created the network now
said to be Southeast Asia's most serious terrorist
threat. 
The report, released by the International Crisis
Group, a Brussels, Belgium-based think tank, says that
Jemaah Islamiyah - a shadowy group allegedly trying to
topple governments in Southeast Asia and carve out an
Islamic state - was created in the 1970's by the head
of Indonesia's military intelligence. [...]


...It will be interesting to learn, as more details
become available, how much of this effort to create
Jemaah Islamiyah was sustained with US training and
financial assistance -- another  monster (like
Hussein) created wth  US help, now turning against Dr.
Frankenstein? 




jbor:
>Bin Laden made a grave error
>in targeting the US on September 11 2001, because
>that attack served to
>mobilise an almighty global police force against him
>and his allies. 


Amen, brother! Praise the "almighty global police
force"! Hail Bush, Slayer of Evildoers!



http://www.thenation.com/actnow/index.mhtml?bid=4
Stop the War







 




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