Posted on 12/14/2011 12:28:01 PM PST by ColdOne
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is rebranding itself to try to lose the negative "baggage" associated with the larger terror organization's identity, according to a senior Arab diplomat who says the Yemeni-based group is trying to attract more foreign fighters to its cause.
AQAP is increasingly going by the name "Ansar al Sharia," which means Army of Islamic Law, the diplomat told Fox News.
"After (Usama) bin Laden's death and the Arab Spring, the name (al Qaeda) seems to have negative connotations and baggage," said the diplomat, who would discuss the changes only on condition of anonymity.
The name swap was likened to a similar evolution experienced by al Qaeda in Iraq's military and political wings. The rebranding of AQAP is seen as an effort to create "a big tent" to attract foreign jihadists and give it a greater air of legitimacy as a political movement.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
They can improve their image only by circular firing squad.
The New and Improved Al Queda!! Terrorism with a gentler brand of death. No more than 30 seconds of suffering - on Allahs honor. And in the month of Ramadan . . kidnapping demands dropped to half price!! No camel dung!!
They will merge with the new ACORN.Obama probably has them on speed dial in his blackberry.
I didn’t realize terrorists had a marketing strategy..
Why not rename themselves “Blackwater”?
I believe it's called Da'wa.
Look, their only “problem” image-wise with the Arab street post-9/11 has been their inability to aggressively follow up. No name change will help that. Thank God.
“AQORN” is available....
Same mission statement too!
They should just call themselves the Middle East Democrats.
Calling a snake a dog doesn’t give it four legs and a bark.
Of course they do have a marketing strategy.
Terrorist organizations need to recruit like anyone else.
There is a whole marketing network, combining internet sites, video producers, radical mosques and sympathisers in regular mosques, on the lookout for likely lads. And then theres the fundraising. I’m sure there are rolodexes with people to hit up.
The whole thing seems pretty much like the Sierra Club or Oxfam or the World Wildlife Fund, except for the direct mail.
LOL, ya they have hired the Dems PR people LOL
I think AQ’s propensity of killing and torturing muslims they believe aren’t “muslim enough” has much to do with their bad press.
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