Is al-Qaeda’s Strategy Changing? Of Oligarchies, Baboons, and Art
“Al-Qaeda has always avoided targeting the ruling family directly, and focused on political and religious reform, within the rule of “the family”. Now it looks like the leadership of the group has changed its strategy within Saudi Arabia, and is now targeting the royal family, indicating a decision not to recognize the legitimacy of the family and to work toward its overthrow......
“There are explanations for the resumption of activities in the Arabian Peninsula……One of these is the spread of corruption in an era of rising unemployment in a very wealthy country…….It is possible that we will see a shift now toward assassinations of officials in the region.......” al-Quds al-Arabi (London)
There have been clear movement and reactivation of al-Qaeda cells in the Peninsula and Persian Gulf region in recent weeks. The plots uncocvered in Bahrain, Kuwait, and the various Saudi cells arrested are an indication of an acceleration of activity. It is interesting that in a police state, and we are talking about police state of the type we have not seen since the Stasi went out of business, such cells keep popping up. This also tells us that there is some infiltration of the local security services.
FYI: the man who tried to kill the son of Prince Nayef had been an al-Qaeda member and was forgiven and retrained. He was one of those the West has been touting as a success story for the Saudi re-education program.
Then there is Yemen, where al-Qaeda is getting stronger and is largely tolerated because the regime is focusing on secessionist movements in the south and north of the country. Yemen may now come under pressure to also start dealing with al-Qaeda.
Sometimes all this reminds me of the intrigues in the Italian states and among the competing future Popes some centuries ago (the Borgias, et al). But that era left so much art for us, as well as a couple of very good books. I am not sure what the battling Middle East oligarchies and the al-Qaeda baboons who occasionally oppose them will be leaving. I have an idea, but I shall not divulge it in order to protect the innocent and the not-so-innocent.
Cheers and Ramadan Kareem
mhg
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