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.
The recent statement from Al Qaeda that Ayman al-Zawahiri has taken over as leader after the assassination of Osama bin Laden is not a surprise.
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 latest issue of Survival (April – May 2011), the bimonthly journal of The International Institute for Strategic Studies, has a cluster of interesting articles addressing this question. Continue reading
The Israeli inquiry commission report issued Sunday 23rd January 2011 defended Israel’s actions when Israeli marines boarded the large Turkish cruise ship, the Mavi Marmara, in the early hours of 31 May 2010. Continue reading
Muslim versus Muslim – Understanding Sayyid Qutb – The Trotsky of the Militant Islamists
The Sayyid Qutb Reader Selected Writings on Politics, Religion, and Society; Edited by Albert J.Bergesen; Routledge; 175 pages; Stg £21.99. Continue reading
This article first appeared in the 25 September 2005 edition of The Sunday Business Post and is reproduced here with their kind permission. Continue reading
This article first appeared in the 13 July 2005 edition of The Irish Times and is reproduced here with their kind permission. Continue reading