We should not assume that Al Qaeda is defeated. It still poses a threat to world peace, says Richard Whelan.
We should not assume that Al Qaeda is defeated. It still poses a threat to world peace, says Richard Whelan.
This article first appeared in the 3 May 2011 edition of The Irish Times and is reproduced here with their kind permission.
ANALYSIS: The death of the figurehead leader of al-Qaeda does not presage the end of the worldwide campaign of terror he inspired
OSAMA BIN Laden’s legacy is that the ideology of al-Qaeda will endure. Al-Qaeda is a group of like-minded people, not a global military structure directed from a notional centre. In fact, the “Arab spring” we are witnessing is a much greater threat to al-Qaeda than the loss of its figurehead, iconic though he may have been.
To understand the significance of bin Laden’s death, we need to take a few steps back.
The topic of Afghanistan was covered in a speech by Dr Liam Fox, Secretary of State for Defence, UK and also in a question-and-answer session with him. It also arose during many other discussions at the IISS conference in Geneva in September 2010. Continue reading
This article first appeared in the 5 October 2010 edition of The Irish Times and is reproduced here with their kind permission. Continue reading
This article first appeared in the 6 August 2008 edition of The Irish Times and is reproduced here with their kind permission.
Al Qaeda – having made Afghanistan almost ungovernable – is poised to also destabilise Pakistan, says Richard Whelan Continue reading
This article first appeared in the 8 July 2007 edition of The Sunday Business Post and is reproduced here with their kind permission.
The recent attacks in Britain are part of a global insurgency and are not just a terror campaign, writes Richard Whelan.