Posted on 02/22/2005 1:39:54 PM PST by nickcarraway
America’s and Russia’s scan, seek and kill is making Al-Queda run for cover – they just cannot take it any more!
Al-Queda is getting squeezed from all directions. American forces recent superb performance in Iraq and Afghanistan is making Al-Queda scratch its head.
And now report from Russia is equally bad for Al-Queda.
Russian forces killed al Qaeda member Abu Dzeit, who was in charge of financing militant activity in southern Russia, the Federal Security Service said on Feb. 21. Dzeit blew himself up after Russian forces searched a house in Ingushetia, finding the entrance to a secret bunker in which he was hiding. The bunker reportedly contained stockpiles of arms and ammunition, a small studio for producing propaganda videos and a lab for making explosives.
American and Russian forces have used signal as well as ground intelligence very well. America’s and for that matter for the whole world the biggest triumph over terrorism was when Pakistan’s Musharraf turned around and ISI became Al-Queda hostile. That made India turn around through slowly. The whole region around Afghanistan slowly understood the limited capabilities of Talibans and the Al-Queda.
Al-Queda is also getting extremely pressed in Iraq. The Sunni leadership is questioning their legitimacy and any further need of insurgency. They may join the Iraqi political system and that will the day of triumph for American diplomacy and military.
Russians are using an interesting technique that is most effective against adamant low-tech Judaists. They are using something called scan, seek and kill methods. The intelligence is fed from the signal levels of satellite and other electronic means including the Internet. It is verified against the field intelligence and then the sitting target is eliminated.
Is Al-Queda then defeated? Not quite, say some experts and world-class think tanks. Al-Queda is not an organization; it is a parasite that feeds on human weakness, dissatisfaction and fear. And that is not going to go so easily. We can only hope that Al-Queda can be kept busy in defending itself and finding reasons for its existence. Slow economic prosperity in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines, Middle East will however wipe Al-Queda out from the map of the world. What they fear most is happiness of people especially in the Islamic world.
What is the chance that Russia's recent issues (selling arms to enemies, etc) is part of a game to convince all nations they are a balance to American policy, when really the two superpowers are acting as close allies?
I didn't know that "Al-Queda" had any "adamant low-tech Judaists."
Yes, but I'd hope simple geography is everyone's friend, post-Cold War. The West is American, the East is Russian, Muslim, and Oriental. Who would want to upset that balance?
Based on the context of the article, I think he may have meant "Jihadists".
I don't think so.
I think that Russia will pin the Al-Quaida tail on every donkey they kill in their ongoing situation in south Russia as a means of justifying their policies and gaining international support.
I would not be surprised if the Chechens rebels had Al-Q connections. On the other hand, given how the Russkies operate, I would be equally unsurprised to find out the Russians were significantly exaggerating those ties.
"Jihadists"
Yes, I'm sure that's what the writer meant, but it sure came out funny.
Actually, despite the spelling and grammatical problems, the article is remarkably positive about the results of the GWOT. The writer just needs a better editor.
As in WWII.
Nevertheless, clearly, there is room for common purposes for entirely different reasons, and it behooves the U.S. to continue doing what is in the best interests of The U.S. also.
The U.S. is no exception to the reality that nations do not have friends, cannot; just national interests, which must change from time to time.
I said it early on, that a no-rules commitment by the U.S. and Russia to work together to eliminate al-Qaeda (or any other terrorist group) cannot fail. In the long long more lives might have been saved, on all sides, had this been done overtly a lot sooner.
the author meant "Jihadists" or "Jihadis", presumably?
You have to remember that Russia is a basket case. It has almost no quality industrial capability that is not arms related. The whole economy was geared toword the military in attempt to never never allow other Europeans to invade and kill millions of Russians.
Somehow when the USSR breathed it's last, the change possible in the economy never occured. The economy and the potential for modernization and growth never really happened. The oligarchs, led by Al Gore and Marc Rich siphones all the capital to Switzerland. The primary workforce is mostly alcoholic. The women can't do all that needs to be done. Russian oil is consequential but inadequate to shore up his economy. He has no manufacturing base with quality products suitable for export. Commodity prices are down. Russia is doomed.
Putin knows this. He knows it only too well.Today, Putin has no choice but to to go to his only resource of consequence, his military manufacturing capability. That's all he has. I don't see his arms sales as purely anti American nor a resumption of the Cold War. It is sheer economic necessity. Sell arms or die.
I wonder how the Pentagon would feel about buying Russian weapons then. Or would it further diminish Russia's technical class if they all moved over here...
.....I wonder how the Pentagon would feel about buying Russian weapons then. Or would it further diminish Russia's technical class if they all moved over here.....
It's a terrible dellimna. The Congress would never permit export of the pork to Russia. We have spread the appropriations pretty thin already by parceling out defense tasks to NATO. Our local defense industru manufactures all the high explosives for the military and is the only such plant remaining. It is run under contract by BAE, British Aerospace.
A really terrible tale has to do with the Soviets and how they conducted business. They ostensibly sold weapons to places like Iraq and we see amazingly huge caches of the stuff still being uncovered today. The Soviets delivered the stuff but never collected on the invoice. They made an internal accounting entry where the industry drew money from its bank against a foreign depositary receipt which was in truth an uncollateralized IOU. In the early 90's I engaged the new Russians in trade and quiclky learned they had not only no money but nothing much worth having in trade. They offered me these depositary receipts greatly discounted in payment. I would have to take the receipt to Iraq or Syria and trade it not for money but for goods. Of course I never took the paper and actually never did any real business. They were flat broke.
Unlike the Chineese commmunists who never lost their business expertise, the Russians never had any. They simply can't do business in the world that exists today.
Since drunks don't revolt, I see only death and dissapation.
The "Golden Chain" is the group of wealthy Muslim financiers, mostly Saudi, who provide the finances that keep Al Queda and the rest going. Take out the Chain, and Al Queda and the rest dry up and blow away
Putting aside all the corruption, crime, and poor management, they also lack the basic human resources needed for business - accountants, finance officers, marketing, etc. People here devote years of their lives to train for those roles. Russians stand in potato lines.
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