We have been warned:

[Tigermike 3,022]

Al Qaeda Moves to Africa

By J. Peter Pham 

World Defense Review 

July 27, 2006 

While events in the Middle East understandably preoccupy American policymakers at the moment, we cannot afford to forget that Israel's war of self-defense against the terrorist Hamas and Hezbollah organizations and their state sponsors is part of a global conflict being waged on many fronts. While that war is currently hot in the Levant, it can also just as quickly get heated in other geostrategically sensitive areas.

When I testified in Congress last month about the rising threat of the Islamists in Mogadishu, one of my fellow witnesses was in utter denial about the connections of Islamists in Africa and international terrorist groups: "I think that it is important that we don't sort of rush to judgment and say, because they are Islamists they must be extremists ... I think what we know is very limited."

Actually, perhaps the gentleman would have been more accurate to say that what he knows is very limited. The fact is that our enemies have been very forthcoming in what they up to, but for a variety of reasons – ranging the general neglect of Africa in U.S. foreign policy circles to concerns about overstretched resources to the unwillingness to acknowledge a problem lest it compel us to act – many have chosen to give the extremists a virtually free pass.

In June, for example, an online magazine for actual and aspiring global jihadis and their supporters, Sada al-Jihad ("Echo of Jihad"), which late last year took the place of Sawt al-Jihad ("Voice of Jihad") as the publication of al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, ran a four-page article by one Abu Azzam al-Ansari entitled "Al-Qaeda is Moving to Africa." (The quotations from the document in this column are my own rendering. An English translation of the entire Arabic-language article is available on the website of the Project for the Research of Islamists Movements (PRISM) of Israel's Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center.) And, pace my fellow witness, the author of the Sada al-Jihad article is quite up-front about his agenda for Africa:

There is no doubt that al-Qaeda and the holy warriors appreciate the significance of the African regions for the military campaigns against the Crusaders. Many people sense that this continent has not yet found its proper and expected role and the next stages of the conflict will see Africa as the battlefield.

With almost admirable detachment from rancor, he then proceeds to enumerate and evaluate what he perceives to be significant advantages to shifting operations to Africa.

These include, the fact that jihadi doctrines have already been spread in many African countries; the political and military weakness of African governments; the easy availability of a wide range of weapons; the geographical position of Africa vis-à-vis international trade routs; the proximity to old conflicts against "Jews and Crusaders" in the Middle East as well as emergent ones like Darfur, which is explicitly mentioned; the poverty of Africa "will enable the holy warriors to provide some finance and welfare, thus, posting there some of their influential operatives"; the technical and scientific skills that potential African recruits would bring; the presence of large Muslim communities, including ones in conflict with Christians or other Muslims; the links to Europe through North Africa "which facilitates the move from there to carry out attacks"; and the fact that Africa has a wealth of natural resources, including hydrocarbons and other raw materials, which are "very useful for the holy warriors in the intermediate and long term."

Consequently, Abu Azzam concludes in a passage I could echo from the opposing side:

In general, this continent has an immense significance. Whoever looks at Africa can see that it does not enjoy the interest, efforts, and activity it deserves in the war against the Crusaders. This is a continent with many potential advantages and exploiting this potential will greatly advance the Jihad. It will promote achieving the expected targets of Jihad. Africa is a fertile soil for the advance of Jihad and the Jihadi cause.

An interesting note about Abu Azzam is that, however unintentionally, he answers analysts who are always quick to point to the significant presence in Africa of Sufi and other Islamic traditions that the Wahhābī and Salafi ideologies have historically tended to condemn as heterodox.

Abu Azzam takes a more pragmatic approach in order to exploit the continent's geopolitical and strategic advantages: "The Sufis have no doubt a huge presence in Africa, more than in any other continent. Many holy warriors in other countries have learned that working with the Sufis is easier than working with any other sect, such as the Shi'ites or the Communists."

Although he does not mention them specifically, one cannot help but wonder if the author is not thinking about the potential of grafting his own violent campaign of global jihad onto African traditions of military campaigns historically carried out by charismatic African leaders under the banner of Islam, including the empire-building jihad of Uthman dan Fodio in what is now northern Nigeria.

In fact, the Sufi brotherhoods among that region's largely Muslim Hausa and Fulani peoples have long-standing ties with the Middle East and, following the colonial interlude, proved receptive to the ministrations of Saudi-educated imams who looked down upon more moderate expressions of Islam. Recently, with the restoration of democracy, Islamist tendencies in the West African giant have taken on a political edge as Muslims from the north have felt sidelined as they are no longer accorded the automatic dominance that they enjoyed under British colonialism and post-independence military rule, a sense of grievance accentuated by the realization that their region, unlike the southern areas, is resource poor.

It was in this context of Muslim political decline on the national level that northern politicians began raising – quite successfully, one might add – the banner of sharī‘a to reinforce their positions.

In summary, increasing economic and political marginalization, combined with the intrusion of "religious" ideologies into a still maturing polity, make for a volatile situation even before the entrance of foreign extremist elements.

Likewise, while Senegal, a relatively stable and prosperous country with an overwhelming Muslim population, has managed to maintain, since the tenure of its extraordinary independence leader and first president, the humanist scholar Léopold Sédar Senghor (himself a member of the Académie française and a Roman Catholic who was married to a French woman). The country's civil authorities have paid due deference to the leaders of its influential Sufi brotherhoods – including the Tidjaniyya, Muridiyya, Quadriyya, and others – who, in turn, accept the secular government's control of civic matters.

The current president, Abdoulaye Wade, for example, lets out that he is a "Mouride," an adherent of a reformist group within the Hizbut Tarquiyyah brotherhood. However, outside the relatively moderate traditional religious establishment, there are a number of radical Islamists groups whose leaders have been trained in the Middle East. These are particularly active among younger Senegalese, especially university students, as the innocuous-sounding name of one of these groups, the Associations des Etudiants de l'Université de Dakar, indicates.

In short, even if some analysts inside the Beltway cannot or will not see it, our jihadi foes are already setting their sights on Africa as the venue of choice for future operational bases, especially as they continue to be rooted out of Afghanistan, Iraq, the Arabian peninsula, and now, Gaza and Lebanon.

Over the long term, a terrorist foothold in Africa – whether among the Islamists in the Horn of Africa or in West Africa or both – may well prove to be an even greater threat to the interests of the United States and its allies than those in the current arenas of conflict.

We have been warned: al-Qaeda itself has served us notice.

– J. Peter Pham is Director of the Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs and a Research Fellow of the Institute for Infrastructure and Information Assurance at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He is also an adjunct fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies in Washington, D.C. In addition to the study of terrorism and political violence, his research interests lie at the intersection of international relations, international law, political theory, and ethics, with particular concentrations on the implications for United States foreign policy and African states as well as religion and global politics.

Dr. Pham is the author of over one hundred essays and reviews on a wide variety of subjects in scholarly and opinion journals on both sides of the Atlantic and the author, editor, or translator of over a dozen books. Among his recent publications are Liberia: Portrait of a Failed State (Reed Press, 2004), which has been critically acclaimed by Foreign Affairs, Worldview, Wilson Quarterly, American Foreign Policy Interests, and other scholarly publications, and Child Soldiers, Adult Interests: The Global Dimensions of the Sierra Leonean Tragedy (Nova Science Publishers, 2005).

In addition to serving on the boards of several international and national think tanks and journals, Dr. Pham has testified before the U.S. Congress and conducted briefings or consulted for both Congressional and Executive agencies.

http://www.defenddemocracy.org/in_the_medi...m?doc_id=386296

[Bottomfeeder 244]

Give a break already. I'm not scared of dying, are you?

Cafferty:

     Another day, another tape from al Qaeda.  So what?  What exactly is the world supposed to do because some al Qaeda dirtbag releases a tape saying he’s going to support Hezbollah?  Should we all get under the bed now? The fact is, these morons have been sending out tapes for years and

threatening all kinds of dire things, but as far as we know, the leadership of what’s left of this organization is still scurrying around from cave to cave in

Afghanistan trying to keep their cooking fires lit so they can roast their goats.

        It’s far more likely that they’re starved for attention.  Between the war in Iraq, the war in Gaza, the war in Lebanon, the crazies in North Korea

and Iran, the world doesn’t have time to pay attention to these worms anymore. So, like spoiled little brats who throw a fit in a department store because

their mother is busy shopping and not paying attention to them, these idiots rush out another videotape so they can get their name in the paper.

[AURaptor 1,122]

They declared war back in 1997, only we didn't listen back then. How quick some are to forget about the training video releaed by aQ showing hooded brothers shooting at a large poster image of our President.

President Bill Clinton

Now that Bush has decided to fight back, he's being made to be the HITLER of the world, while al Qaida and the other Islamo-terrorist continue to blow up, butcher, rape and murder as many citizens as they can.

I have to ask...why is it that so many refuse to face up and see what we're dealing with here?? Is it that most would rather ignore the real threat, than to be bothered w/ actually having to take a stand? Are people afraid of what they might become, afraid of becoming more war like ? Even if being of a mindset that understands that some innocent bystanders must die in order to get at the evil monsters intent on destroying us ?

What more will it take ?

[Bottomfeeder 244]

I don't care about it anymore. Therefore, I'm washing my hands of the entire thing. Regardless of who they attack, we are helpless as citizens to prevent the inevitable. In other words, it is not within my power, so I admit my powerlessness.

1 Swiss franc = 0.799232737 U.S. dollars

[Tigermike 3,022]

They declared war back in 1997, only we didn't listen back then.  How quick some are to forget about the training video releaed by aQ showing hooded brothers shooting at a large poster image of our President.

President Bill Clinton

Now that Bush has decided to fight back, he's being made to be the HITLER of the world, while al Qaida and the other Islamo-terrorist continue to blow up, butcher, rape and murder as many citizens as they can.

I have to ask...why is it that so many refuse to face up and see what we're dealing with here?? Is it that most would rather ignore the real threat, than to be bothered w/ actually having to take a stand? Are people afraid of what they might become, afraid of becoming more war like ?  Even if being  of a mindset that understands that some innocent bystanders must die in order to get at the evil monsters intent on destroying us ?

What more will it take ? 

252953[/snapback]

It is a common failing of many to ascribe the same beliefs to others that they themselves have. It's easy to sit in the coffee house in NY, Chicago, LA or Atlanta and declare the war wrong. The problem is they don't take into account the fact that al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Iran & Syria could care less about them but do thank them for being so naive and such obstructionists. It's strange that for the most part when they declare the war wrong, they only declare it wrong for the US & Israel. They never take into account that when men believe they hear a command from their god, they go deaf to other voices. The US will try to be honest brokers of "peace". But men on a violent mission from God have no respect what so ever for mediators.

We helped make this mess. Instead of relentlessly destroying terrorists and insurgents, we tried to wage war gently to please the media. We always let the bad guys off the ropes - and apologized when they showed the press their rope burns. We passed up repeated chances to kill Moqtada al-Sadr and break his Mahdi Army militia. We did what was easiest in the short term, not what was essential for the long term.

[Bottomfeeder 244]

Kill 'em, if think it's going to solve the problem, blow 'em the #### away. I don't care what you do with them. I have other things to concern myself with and this is not one of them. It's not my job to take care of these things, that's why I pay taxes. Right?

[DKW 86 7,418]

Saw a documentary on Cuba yesterday. I keep the TV on while I work. They just bluntly talked about "We have no homosexuals in Cuba." I thought what?

The show then went on to tell you that Castro has "Re-Education" centers set up for Gays. As soon as they are found iout, they are sent to these "Re-Education" centers.

Ahhh Socialism, so open minded...NOT! Anyone want to go to Hollyweird and count the number of brain dead entertainment folks that are queer and wear Che Gueverra t-shirts in support of Castro. If they were in Cuba, they would living in these "Re-Education" centers and probably learning why some of us vote conservative. The gushing love for Castro from the Left makes me sick.

Also saw an add for an upcoming documentary on the Islamo-Fascists. They want Islam rule over everything from Persia (Iraq and Pakistan) and into SPAIN!!!! The Muslims still claim Al Andalus, the lower half of Spain and some of Southern France. Think anyone of the Left knows or admits that?

[Bottomfeeder 244]

Heck, send all of the F#GS and Islamo-Fascist to Cuba for a socialist experiment. I hate socialism. I dislike Billary. I dislike all politicans, and I only like public servants. -ISMS, we need a constitutional amendment banning all forms of -isms and embrace our organic constitution again. Do away with the present 13th amendment and on. The new anti-isms amendment would be the new 13th amendment.

[Tigermike 3,022]

I don't care about it anymore. Therefore, I'm washing my hands of the entire thing. Regardless of who they attack, we are helpless as citizens to prevent the inevitable. In other words, it is not within my power, so I admit my powerlessness.

1 Swiss franc = 0.799232737 U.S. dollars

252978[/snapback]

Give a break already. I'm not scared of dying, are you?

252934[/snapback]

Kill 'em, if think it's going to solve the problem, blow 'em the #### away. I don't care what you do with them. I have other things to concern myself with and this is not one of them. It's not my job to take care of these things, that's why I pay taxes. Right? 

252986[/snapback]

Heck, send all of the F#GS and Islamo-Fascist to Cuba for a socialist experiment. I hate socialism. I dislike Billary. I dislike all politicans, and I only like public servants. -ISMS, we need a constitutional amendment banning all forms of -isms and embrace our organic constitution again. Do away with the present 13th amendment and on. The new anti-isms amendment would be the new 13th amendment.

253117[/snapback]

For someone who does not care, you have spent a lot of time on this thread.

[Bottomfeeder 244]

I don't care about it anymore. Therefore, I'm washing my hands of the entire thing. Regardless of who they attack, we are helpless as citizens to prevent the inevitable. In other words, it is not within my power, so I admit my powerlessness.

1 Swiss franc = 0.799232737 U.S. dollars

252978[/snapback]

Give a break already. I'm not scared of dying, are you?

252934[/snapback]

Kill 'em, if think it's going to solve the problem, blow 'em the #### away. I don't care what you do with them. I have other things to concern myself with and this is not one of them. It's not my job to take care of these things, that's why I pay taxes. Right? 

252986[/snapback]

Heck, send all of the F#GS and Islamo-Fascist to Cuba for a socialist experiment. I hate socialism. I dislike Billary. I dislike all politicans, and I only like public servants. -ISMS, we need a constitutional amendment banning all forms of -isms and embrace our organic constitution again. Do away with the present 13th amendment and on. The new anti-isms amendment would be the new 13th amendment.

253117[/snapback]

For someone who does not care, you have spent a lot of time on this thread.

253127[/snapback]

GTC! Watching and waiting I have nothing better to do, ya know?

http://www.forexhsi.com/ddhelp/makingdealsterminology.php