Sunday, July 24, 2005

The "Magic Bomb" Theory

The "Magic Bomb" Theory: " An Asian guy, a white guy, two old ladies, and a blond businesswoman......and two dancers. "

Monday, July 11, 2005

THE NEW ALQUAEDA - this is priceless!!!!!

Welcome to Sydney Morning Herald Online. Skip directly to: Search Box, Section Navigation, Content. Text Version.

NEWS | MYCAREER | DOMAIN | DRIVE | FINANCE | CITYSEARCH | RSVP member centre | login | register

New al-Qaeda, new danger
July 12, 2005

Page Tools
Email to a friend Printer format
Ahmed Omar Sheik … new hero.


Related
Britain's Muslims brace for backlash
Veterans of a long war undeterred by a few bombs
Unmasked: the face that gripped the world
Morgue fills with bodies as ID process begins
Cultural diversity reflected in victims
Friends fear worst for American who lit up Sydney
The London bombers are a new breed of terrorist, writes Ahmed Rashid, one of the world's leading commentators on militant Islam.

It is likely that the London bombings caught Osama bin Laden by surprise as much as they did British intelligence. For he does not know the cells that make up the new al-Qaeda in Europe and which have little in common with the old al-Qaeda.

Whether the bombers were British Muslims who hid their identity so well they were unknown to the intelligence services, or a more seasoned group based on the Continent, they constitute the thinking and practice of a new al-Qaeda that has developed since September 11, 2001.

Its members have not trained in Afghanistan or Iraq and it is unlikely they have been to any of the world's trouble spots. They have never met an old al-Qaeda leader. Their cells are small and highly secretive and some of them carry British passports.

They are not innovators. They wish to emulate the attacks of the old al-Qaeda and they are motivated by more recent perceived symbols of Muslim humiliation - the occupation of Iraq and the US-run jails of Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib.

Organisationally, the new al-Qaeda - represented by the likes of Ahmed Omar Sheik, the British killer of the US journalist Daniel Pearl - is so different from the fanatics who flew into the World Trade Centre and fought the US in Afghanistan, it may not even warrant the name al-Qaeda.

Advertisement
AdvertisementAl-Qaeda, Arabic meaning The Base, has always encouraged diffusion as long as the basis of its anti-Western ideology is not displaced.

Its tactical brilliance has been its ability to change its characteristics, recruitment patterns and mode of operations more swiftly than any other terrorist group in history. The new al-Qaeda learns rapidly from the failures of past operations.

Europe's intelligence agencies have been busy tracking down the old al-Qaeda. Since September 11, 2001, more than 4000 suspects have been arrested around the world.

MI5 has monitored every group of politically active Muslims and activists arriving in Britain since September 11, while

MI6 has closely watched British Muslims travelling to terrorist-prone countries such as Pakistan or Iraq. However, just as war plans are often drawn up on the basis of the last war, British intelligence will have to throw away its old files and start anew to understand the new al-Qaeda.

The new groups do not gather in London's mosques on a Friday afternoon and attack the West. They do not divulge their activities to even their closest family members. They are also likely to be long-time friends, drastically reducing the possibility of leaks or infiltration by intelligence agencies.

The old al-Qaeda hero is Khalid Sheik Mohammed, who planned the September 11 attacks, recruited the personnel and arranged the logistics while travelling around the world in multiple disguises and womanising in bars. He was arrested in Pakistan in 2003 trying to rebuild his organisation.

The new hero, Ahmed Omar Sheik, is a British Muslim educated at the London School of Economics who is facing a death sentence in a Karachi jail for murdering Pearl in 2002.

After September 11, 2001 Sheik travelled through Pakistan, Afghanistan and Kashmir, inspiring militants to operate independently or to establish a group for a single attack then disperse, as he did when he kidnapped Pearl. Even from behind bars he is still believed to be in touch with militants in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Britain.

Just as bin Laden no longer uses any form of electronic communication, it is likely that the group responsible for the London attacks avoided telephones and email in favour of direct meetings.

The Madrid bombers were undone by their extensive mobile calls. The London group will have avoided making the same mistake.

Telegraph, London

Ahmed Rashid is the author of the bestsellers Taliban and Jihad.


WIN a $16,000 holiday when you subscribe to the Herald for as little as $3 a week


Top of Page
Page Tools
Email to a friend Printer format SPONSORED LINKS



Related
Britain's Muslims brace for backlash
Veterans of a long war undeterred by a few bombs
Unmasked: the face that gripped the world
Morgue fills with bodies as ID process begins
Cultural diversity reflected in victims
Friends fear worst for American who lit up Sydney
More news
Death toll from bombings rises to 52
Gay couple tie knot in Spain
Norwegian homosexuals to launch new soda

Search

World
Murder in Mexico
Bomb wounds 14 in Trinidad
Srebrenica lays its dead to rest
Australian victim fights for life
Death toll from bombings rises to 52
Gay couple tie knot in Spain
Norwegian homosexuals to launch new soda
Experts warn of virus link to bomb video
Blair vows to defeat terrorists
Unmasked: the face that gripped the world
National
ACTU hits back at Howard's vision
No shining solution, yet
Race chasm still yawns, study finds
Opinion
Bottled folly
Cynical double dip unjust reward for poor service
Our new oral fixation
Business
Telstra sacks 90 staff
Business sentiment hits 14-year low
Vizard not off the hook yet
Technology
IT update
EDS workers unite
Finders keepers
Sport
Anasta's off to the Roosters
Lady luck leaves Webber burnt again
Another country, another challenge for Atkinson
Entertainment
What sank the Sith?
Lindsay's eating order
Worth their salt

News Store Alert will keep you informed. Find out more


Get free news emails from smh.com.au. Sign-up now

SPONSORED LINKS

Jobs @ MyCareer
Cars @ Drive
Homes @ Domain

NEWS
Breaking
National
World
Business
Technology
Sport
RugbyHeaven
Entertainment
Special Reports
Obituaries
Video
Photo galleries
COMMENTARY
Opinion
Editorials
Letters
Cartoons
Webdiary
TIME OUT
Column 8
Spike
Strange but True
Crosswords
Weather
TV guide
SECTIONS
Travel
Money
Employment
Property
Motoring
Education
radar
CLASSIFIEDS
Place an ad
adonline
real estate
cars
jobs
notices
dating
announcements
Other classifieds
EDITIONS
AM today
Last 8 days
Text
rss version
mobile
pda
SERVICES
Member centre
SMH store
Subscriptions
overseas sales
Advertise
Archive
Photosales
About us
events & charity
Site map
Contact us
Home > World > Article
Search Search Tips
Add smh.com.au to your rss feeds

Home | National | World | Opinion | Business | Technology | Sport | Entertainment

Subscribe | Privacy | Contact Us | Conditions | Member Agreement | Make smh.com.au Your Homepage

Copyright © 2005. The Sydney Morning Herald.

Katie Holmes - brainwash victim or young and in love?

W Feature Story on Style.com