- Home
- Global poll – Al Qaeda. See excerpt of poll here
- World Institute for Nuclear Security & International Atomic Energy Agency forms anti-nuclear terrorism group
- All Contents of Site – Index
Comment at end
30th September, 2008
WHO IS WINNING THE WAR ON TERROR?
AND THE WARS OF IDEAS/UNDERSTANDING/BLAME/PR/PROPAGANDA/FAITHS’ DOCTRINES & INSTRUCTIONS?
Al-Qaeda or the USA?
This you have to hear! The first of a four episode series, on BBC Radio World Series, by the BBC’s Owen Bennett-Jones. From the BBC website – Is al-Qaeda winning?
Listen to audio – “Is al-Qaeda winning?” Read article – ‘Is al-Qaeda winning?’
Seven years into the global war on terror, is al-Qaeda winning? It’s a deceptively simple question, one Owen Bennett-Jones asked in Riyadh, Peshawar and Baghdad, as well as London, Brussels and Washington for this four-part series.
Part one – Hearts and Minds
The series begins with a man who has recruited fighters for al-Qaeda in Iraq, explaining al-Qaeda’s global goals.
This rare interview is followed by an exploration of why some radical imams and al-Qaeda sympathisers are turning against the organisation because of the number of civilians it has killed.
Owen Bennett-Jones moves from Jordan to West Point, the US military academy, where scholars study captured al-Qaeda documents for clues as to how serious it takes the problem of civilian casualties.
He shares the results of a BBC global opinion poll about al-Qaeda and meets ostensible US allies in Europe and Pakistan who say America’s War on Terror is doing more harm than good – a charge he puts to the US State Department.
(First broadcast Monday 29 September 2008, BBC World Service & on 30th September, BBC Radio 4.)
CONCLUSION
The conclusion seems to be that America needs to withdraw form the Middle East.
Conversation with an experienced American military officer & Owen Bennett-Jones:
Asked this by Mr Bennett-Jones:
“Islamists want to kill everyone who is not a Muslim. Why is this difficult to counter?”
Reply:
“You have to have the legitimacy in which to counter that argument.”
So THAT seems to be the problem. Legitimacy.
Explaining WHY it was right AND legitimate to go into Iraq and having the explanation believed by the majority. Also disproving the “lie” accusations on WMDs, as well as on any other suspected motives.
How can this be done when so many of our own enemies within will not give western leaders a fair hearing? They have already been found guilty by the judgement of the naive liberal press and vested interests. By our own side. Nothing the other side can do, even killing all of us and establishing a world-wide caliphate with the remaining on-side (forced or willing Muslims), can compare to that!
It’s mind-blowing.
No wonder Tony Blair seeks the answer through religion.
God help us!
POLL: USA WAR ON TERROR HAS FAILED TO WEAKEN AL QAEDA
Across 23 western and muslim countries 47% of people think NEITHER is winning. And 8% globally view AQ positively. In Pakistan 19% view it positively.
Excerpt:
Most people across the world believe the US-led ‘war on terror’ has failed to weaken al Qaeda and many think the group has actually grown stronger, a BBC World Service poll revealed on Monday.
Seven years after the United States launched its campaign following the September 11 attacks, even Americans appear unsure about its success.
On average only 22 percent of people polled across 23 countries thought US action had weakened Osama bin Laden’s network, while 29 percent thought it had no effect and 30 percent believed it had actually made al Qaeda stronger.
Just 34 percent of Americans questioned believed al Qaeda had been weakened, while 26 percent thought the ‘war on terror’ had no effect, and 33 percent said they thought the campaign had made the group stronger.
“Despite its overwhelming military power, America’s war against al Qaeda is widely seen as having achieved nothing better than a stalemate and many believe that it has even strengthened al Qaeda,” said Steven Kull, director of the US-based Program on International Policy and Attitudes.
The survey of 24,000 people, carried out between July 8 and September 12, also revealed that the predominant view in 15 nations polled is that neither the United States nor al Qaeda is winning the conflict.
On average just ten percent of respondents thought al Qaeda was winning, 22 percent thought the United States was winning and 47 percent said neither.
Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria and Turkey were most positive about the impact of the ‘war on terror’ and US success, while one fifth of Pakistanis questioned believed al-Qaeda was winning — although 24 percent believed neither was.
A majority of those polled had a negative opinion of al Qaeda, except in two countries seen as on the frontline of the conflict — Egypt and Pakistan.
One fifth of Egyptians said they had a favourable view of al-Qaeda, 40 percent were neutral and 35 percent had a negative view. In Pakistan, 19 percent were positive, 22 percent were neutral and 19 percent were negative.
“The fact that so many people in Egypt and Pakistan have mixed or even positive views of al-Qaeda is yet another indicator that the US war on terror is not won.”
OTHER NEWS ITEMS
Tories to force social integration on Muslims
Tags: al qaeda finished, america battle of ideas, bbc radio 4, is al qaeda winning, owen bennett-jones bbc, poll across 23 countries usa al qaeda, war on terror, winning the battle against terrorism
February 7, 2009 at 7:00 pm |
i agree with you