Pretty cool news. Happy for a lot of people in the US and the world right now.
Any idea if there is another leader ready to take his place at the head of Al Qaida, or is this a blow that will cause the organization to collapse and/or splinter?
Kinda interesting that he was in a city after all. But good work by all those involved to finally get him.
Pretty cool news. Happy for a lot of people in the US and the world right now.
Any idea if there is another leader ready to take his place at the head of Al Qaida, or is this a blow that will cause the organization to collapse and/or splinter?
The new terror front man is Anwar Al-Awlaki.
He has supposedly been the "mastermind" behind some of these failed bombing stings lately.
Here in the Middle East, this news is being greeted with the same sort of gladness it is back home, by people of all creeds and nationalities. So while the UAE is hardly a bastion of Islamic extremism, I think it bodes well.
Our Pakistani accountant here in the office says he's from the town where bin Laden was caught... the accountant's mind = blown. He says it's a small city where everyone knows each other and can't understand how he could have been hiding there. Assuming all the stories are true, it goes to show why bin Laden has been so hard to catch if even the locals can't detect him right under their noses.
I don't know, I think these wars are going to produce a bunch of future Bin Laden's.....
I don't know Mikey, Al Queda has become fairly fractured over the last few years. What set them apart is their ability to finance large complex organizations and be able to provide financing for them.
Even though America hadn't captured Bin Laden, they had done a decent job of keeping that organization on the defensive. I also think that the finances aren't as readily available.
Over the last few years we've seen the rise of more localized terrorist groups that aren't associated as opposed to the height of Al Qaeda who while not a terrorist group was more like a terrorist consulting group that could provide funding and personal on a mission by mission statement.
I think Iran has also moved more of a focus on funding groups operating in the middle east and Afghanistan as opposed to Al Qaeda.
A lot of the leaders that served in the Afghan war against the Russians and provided solid leadership with Bin Laden are either dead or in prison now.
With the figure head gone, I think we'll see a lashout in retaliation without much coordination.
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My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
He'll probably be close to where Bin Laden was, hopefully anyway. Hope they get him soon as well.
Taken from wikipedia
Quote:
Although he hesitated to shake hands with women, he patronized prostitutes.[44] Al-Awlaki was arrested in San Diego in August 1996 and in April 1997 for soliciting prostitutes.[16][45][68][69] In the first instance, he pled guilty to a lesser charge on condition of entering an AIDS education program, and paying $400 in fines and restitution.[69] The second time, he pled guilty to soliciting a prostitute, and was sentenced to three years' probation, fined $240, and ordered to perform 12 days of community service.[69]
I don't know Mikey, Al Queda has become fairly fractured over the last few years. What set them apart is their ability to finance large complex organizations and be able to provide financing for them.
Even though America hadn't captured Bin Laden, they had done a decent job of keeping that organization on the defensive. I also think that the finances aren't as readily available.
Over the last few years we've seen the rise of more localized terrorist groups that aren't associated as opposed to the height of Al Qaeda who while not a terrorist group was more like a terrorist consulting group that could provide funding and personal on a mission by mission statement.
I think Iran has also moved more of a focus on funding groups operating in the middle east and Afghanistan as opposed to Al Qaeda.
A lot of the leaders that served in the Afghan war against the Russians and provided solid leadership with Bin Laden are either dead or in prison now.
With the figure head gone, I think we'll see a lashout in retaliation without much coordination.
Well if Al Qaeda (or whatever you want to call it) is as weakened as you suggest, then they should be bringing some troops home, and ending these wars.
...of course things just seem to be shifting to Northern Africa..
They are going broke. Osama Bin Laden is dead but this has come at a massive expense for the American people.
But aside from that, of course this will score huge political points for Obama.
LOL some are acting like he pulled the trigger....but I hope Americans demand an end to these wars now so they can try and turn the budget around. Obama has a chance to redeem himself here.
