Saturday, April 28, 2012

Has Al Qaeda Been Gravely Weakened?


Al-Qaeda Gravely Weakened By The Loss Of Key Figures -- The Telegraph

Long before US special forces launched the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, his terrorist movement had been gravely weakened by the loss of key figures.

The death of al-Qaeda's founder on 2 May last year accelerated its decline into what one official called a "headless" network.

The fact that bin Laden met his end in Pakistan also showed how a region once considered al-Qaeda's heartland has become its graveyard. Most of those who planned the attacks on September 11 have succumbed to the most intense counter-terrorism campaign in history, with regular missile strikes by US Predator drones taking the heaviest toll. Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden's official successor, is one of the few surviving members of his original circle.

Read more ....

Update: US officials: Core al-Qaida 'essentially gone' -- Yahoo News/AP

My Comment: The operational terror aspect of Al Qaeda may be degraded .... but the underlying religious fervor of Al Qaeda and it's philosophy is still there and supported by millions. Until Islam undergoes it's own internal 'Reformation' .... Islamic militancy and terrorism will (unfortunately) be an aspect of our lives for a very long time.

Update: David Ignatius (Washington Post) nails it in his recent commentary.

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