Posted on 08/01/2012 7:07:18 AM PDT by moonshot925
The killing of Osama bin Laden has plunged al-Qaeda’s core leadership into a decline it will be hard to reverse, according to an American intelligence report.
In its annual Country Reports on Terrorism, the State Department described 2011 as a “landmark year”, with the deaths of Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, the group’s deputy leader and Anwar al-Awlaki, a senior figure of its affiliate in Yemen, among other high-profile casualties.
It warned however that affiliates in Yemen and West Africa pose a growing threat to the West.
“As al-Qaeda’s core has gotten weaker, we have seen the rise of affiliated groups around the world. Among these al-Qaeda affiliates, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) represents a particularly serious threat,” it said.
“At year’s end, AQAP had taken control of territory in southern Yemen and was exploiting unrest in that country to advance plots against regional and Western interests.”
Daniel Benjamin, the State Department’s coordinator for counterterrorism, also said the Arab Spring had also undermined al-Qaeda’s ideology.
“We saw millions of citizens throughout the Middle East advance peaceful public demands for change without any reference to al Qaeda's incendiary world view,” he said.
The report included statistics showing that the overall number of terrorist attacks worldwide fell to 10,283 last year from 11,641 in 2010.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Is this UK rag shilling for Obama?
The Navy SEALS have been making life miserable for al Qaeda since 09-11-01. It was only a matter of time before they nailed bin Laden.
Al Q is operating with the rebels in Syria and has a presence in Egypt and Lybia. They even have representation in the Western Hemisphere.
They don’t look completely dead.
The article is based on a US State Department report so it is Obama/Hillary Clinton approved propaganda.
Coming from an “American intelligence report”, this is tantamount to Jerry Jones predicting that the Cowboys will win the Super Bowl for the next twelve years running.
Yes, Obama KILLED Osama! After the 4th opportunity, after that bitch Iranian Valerie Jarret had run out of excuses to prevent her leader’s demise, after Obama had finally come to believe he needed (still needs) the “Hail Allah” pass, after, after, after....everything. Yes, Al Qaeda is broken. A new leader is needed... Perhaps Obama?
I would consider this information only after the Leftists, Obama, and the Democrats are no longer the source.
Wars are fought on both strategic and psychological battle grounds.
Al-Qaida’s decline began the minute American troops hit the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq, showing our willingness to shed blood in order to defeat them. Our enemy has lacked the desire to strike at us again, as can be seen in the dearth of those willing to die for their cause.
Their capabilities have been eroded, but more importantly their will. The killing of Osama bin-Laden no doubt was a tremendous victory, but it was the symbolic culmination of their defeat, not the pivotal victory portrayed in this article.
The “Torygraph” shilling for Obama? You must be joking. You mustn’t have stumbled across any of Nile Gardiner’s columns...
Where is Mullah Omar?
Who do they think they’re foolin’?
In case no one has noticed, Al Qaeda is WINNING.
Keep in mind, Al Qaeda’s goal was replace secular governments in Moslem countries with Moslem governments. They have succeeded in several countries, including Libya and Egypt. They’ll probably get Syria, too.
I believe the new word for the day is “gormless.” It describes the writer perfectly.
There’s no proof whatsoever Osama was buried at sea.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.