Diplomatic Murders and the Sahel
The murders of the Egyptian and Algerian diplomats in Iraq reinforces the fact that al Qaeda's war is not only against the United States, but also against Muslim governments. As discussed in al Qaeda's Diplomatic Mission, one goal of the murders is to discredit the Iraqi government and force foreign governments to withdraw their diplomatic missions. Another purpose is to destabilize Arab governments considered apostates for their unwillingness to adhere to the Islamist form of government and for their cooperation with Western governments. This can be clearly seen in the case of the kidnapping and murder of the Algerian diplomats.
In al Qaeda and the Algerian terrorist group Salafist Group for Call and Combat [GSPC] communiqués on the kidnapping, interrogation and murder of the Algerian diplomats, it is quite clear the government of Algeria is a direct target due to its overly secular nature. The GSPC is the African arm of al Qaeda, and to highlight the relationship, the GSPC "praises and congratulates their courageous mujahideen brothers for their courageous jihadi strike" in the kidnapping of the Algeria diplomats. From the GSPC communiqué where al Qaeda claims to have extracted "confessions" from the diplomats:
With regards to Ali Belaroussi, we can say that he has shown nationalist tendencies and is opposed to the establishment of an Islamic state. Therefore, we urge you, brothers, to videotape the confessions of these two conniving men the same way you did with the Egyptian diplomat. Hopefully, this will help uncover the truth behind the [Algerian] regime and will reveal its ugly face for anyone who is not familiar with it.
And from the communiqué by Zarqawi where the murder of the diplomats was announced:
This is the response to the transgression of contemporary idolatrous governments who have made their regimes and laws above those of Allah; who have governed the Muslims with non-Islamic laws; who have fought against anyone who supports the supreme goal of applying Shariah law; who have killed the honest mujahideen; and, who have become allies to the Jews and Crusaders. The diplomats of these governments are valid targets for the mujahideen wherever they are
Zarqawi is clear that not only is the non-Islamist nature of these governments grounds for attacks, any cooperation with Western governments ensures al Qaeda's wrath. Zarqawi is scornful of African nations who cooperate in efforts such as the Pan Sahel Initiative, which began in November of 2004 "to assist Mali, Niger, Chad, and Mauritania in detecting and responding to suspicious movement of people and goods across and within their borders through training, equipment and cooperation" with the goals of "waging the war on terrorism and enhancing regional peace and security." [More on the Pan Sahel Initiative at Global Security.]
The Pan Sahel Initiative was replaced with the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Initiative, and the countries of Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Nigeria and Senegal were added to the original members of the Pan Sahel Initiative. In June, a joint military exercises called Operation Flintlock was conducted between the United States and the nine countries, where "700 U.S. troops ran about 2,100 soldiers from nine North and West African nations through counterterrorism exercises including mock patrols, target practice -- even airborne parachute drills."
As a large percentage (estimated at about 25%) of al Qaeda recruits in Iraq are coming from Sub-Saharan Africa, Zarqawi is right to despise and fear an increased US presence in the region. And greater US engagement in the region only serves to make al Qaeda's dream of their repressive Islamist Caliphate more difficult to achieve.
READER COMMENTS: "Diplomatic Murders and the Sahel"
Posted by Justin Capone at July 28, 2005 11:22 PM ET:
Bill, I on occasion have trouble telling what is bullshit and what is not from the media, like this report in the Washington Post below, that paints a picture of the insurgency as more dire then I have seen it since April 2004. If that is to be believed then civil war and a long term al-Qaeda base in Iraq is inevitable.
The main reason I have trouble believing this is that Sunnis wouldn't even be part of the Constitutional Convention right if things were this bad. What do you think Bill?
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Two weeks ago, I received a bleak message from an Iraqi Sunni friend named Talal Gaaod. It worried me because Gaaod has been working hard for the past two years to rally Sunnis to support a new Iraqi government. But as the country has drifted deeper into anarchy this summer, Gaaod's confidence has been shaken.
The rough language of his e-mail conveys the situation better than a hundred polished Pentagon reports: "The political process, and the American project, it has failed," Gaaod wrote. "Believe me, there is no need to waste anymore one penny of the American taxpayers' money and no more one drop of blood of the American boys." He added: "Continuing on the basis to build a democratic process in securing the country, it's only a dream."
Gaaod argues that the violence has become so brutal that it's no longer possible to talk about political solutions, at least in the short run. Because U.S. forces have been unable to contain the insurgency, ordinary Sunnis have been intimidated and overwhelmed. The only weapons the insurgents lack now are armored vehicles, but Gaaod fears they may get those soon, too.
Gaaod argues that the pragmatic solution is martial law, in which generals drawn equally from Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds take control of security. The military men would work with a government of technocrats. Until order is restored, the Iraqi businessman insists, it's useless to talk about loftier hopes for the country.
What makes Gaaod's new pessimism so disturbing is that he has been trying to help U.S. officials connect with the Sunnis of western Iraq. Like most Iraqi Sunnis, he had contacts with Saddam Hussein's regime, but since its ouster, he has helped American officials organize several conferences for Sunni leaders in Amman, Jordan, where he now lives. Working with tribal allies inside Iraq, he helped convene meetings in Fallujah, Mosul and Ramadi to talk about reconciliation. But these efforts have not worked; sometimes, the American military was arresting or shooting the very Sunni leaders that Gaaod was trying to bring to the table.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/28/AR2005072801790.html
Posted by steve at July 29, 2005 8:34 AM ET:
The WaPo can read like Der Spiegel sometimes.
Gaaod, a Sunni who fled to Amman when Saddam's racket ended, and who maintains close ties to the old regime, says that America should throw in the towell. "..the American Project, it has failed." According to him we are defeated.
I think anything Gaaod has to say should be taken with a grain of salt.
BTW: Gaaod's use of the affectionate term "American boys" stinks. It was a grab for the domestic political heart-strings of America's military parents, with the sole intention of tugging at them. No class.
-Steve
Posted by Vox Populi at July 30, 2005 12:14 AM ET:
"The murders of the Egyptian and Algerian diplomats in Iraq reinforces the fact that al Qaeda's war is not only against the United States, but also against Muslim governments."
You've got it all wrong my friend. Ben Laden is a Qutbist, a follower of Qutb's writing an egyptian who was executed in the 60's and who is the father of modern islamic terrorism. Qutb says that's in imperative that you overthrow muslim states first. Ben Laden seems to violate his teachings but it's only a matter of tactics. His war is primarily against muslim governments. For Ben Laden, the real war against the US will come after muslim governments are overthrowned. The 9-11 attack and all subsequent attacks are only a mean to force the muslim governments to ally to the US and alienate them from the local population.