Posted on 10/14/2007 1:46:33 PM PDT by Zathras
Trofimov, a Wall Street Journal writer and observer of the Muslim world (Faith at War), tackles an incident unreported in the West: the violent takeover of Islam's holiest shrine by Muslim fundamentalists in 1979.
Carrying out his investigations in one of the world's most closed societies, Trofimov has crafted a compelling historical narrative, blending messianic theology with righteous violence, and the Saudi state's sclerotic corruption with the complicity of the official religious institutions.
Trofimov aptly points out endemic regional problems with enduring repercussions for fighting terror, but is hampered by his sensationalist style (The world was twelve months away from the tumultuous events that would cover the mosque's marble courtyard with blood, spilled guts and severed limbs).
In 1979, the Saudi intelligence services apparently had no accurate blueprints of the Grand Mosque, and knew nothing of the underground labyrinth where many of the militants took shelter; they eventually received plans to the site from Osama bin Laden's older brother.
Ringleader Juhayman and his followers have inspired al-Qaeda and countless other Islamic revivalist movements to ever greater acts of violence, even though they were mesmerized by their limited understanding of an obscurantist theology and were convinced that that one of their unassuming members was the Messiah. Casual readers will be well served by this introduction to Muslim fundamentalist terrorism. (Sept. 18) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
LOL, the tie-in to Carter should be worth the price of admission all by itself.
I’ll have to check this out.
softly glowing green glass as far as the eye can see....
That is the one place on this planet I would love to see mushrooms “blooming”.
;^)
bttttt
And so ends the saga of the decendants of Hagar the whoreable!
Is this the time that Iranian Shi’ites tried to take over the Mosque and Saudi security forces had to root them out with swords because of fear bullets might damage the building?
Pakistani and French security forces retook the shrine in a battle which left approximately 250 dead, and 600 wounded. Pakistani and French troops reportedly entered the Grand Mosque and flooded it with water; applied electricity to it; and electrocuted most of the rebels. Other reports said that paralyzing gas was used. Still others say the highly trained French GIGN counter-terrorist commandos led the assault after receiving an instant conversion to Islam by Saudi religious leaders.
oops... seems the hostages were taken the day after this happened!
I seem to recall that (an attack by Iranian pilgrims). This book appears to deal with another attack, by Sunni militants.
I heard that it was French and Jordanian Soldiers. I do like the fact that they were zotted. Surprisingly little about it on the internet when I looked a few years ago.
I heard that it was French and Jordanian Soldiers. I do like the fact that they were zotted. Surprisingly little about it on the internet when I looked a few years ago.
Accurate enough and gold was zooming upward. Anarchy and dissolution in the air
“Looming Tower” by Lawrence Wright covers this quite well.
The final conclusion is Carter and his State Dept. and its failure to respond to much of the 78-80 terrorist plots created Al-Qaeda.
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