Posted on 03/13/2002 10:48:58 AM PST by vannrox
In the fourth issue of the on-line publication "‘Al-Anssar – For the Struggle Against the Crusader War,” columnist Abu 'Ubeid Al-Qurashi(1) wrote an article in which he compares the Munich operation to September 11.
"…Seemingly, the [Munich Olympics] operation failed because it did not bring about the release of the prisoners, and even cast a shadow of doubt on the justness of the Palestinian cause in world public opinion. But following the operation, and contrary to how it appeared [at first], it was the greatest media victory, and the first true proclamation to the entire world of the birth of the Palestinian resistance movement...”(2)
"In truth, the Munich operation was a great propaganda strike. Four thousand journalists and radio personnel, and two thousand commentators and television technicians were there to cover the Olympic games; suddenly, they were broadcasting the suffering of the Palestinian people.(3) Thus, 900 million people in 100 countries were witness to the operation by means of television screens. This meant that at least a quarter of the world knew what was going on in Munich; after this, they could no longer ignore the Palestinian tragedy.”
"The September 11 [operation] was an even greater propaganda coup. It may be said that it broke a record in propaganda dissemination… With few exceptions, the entire planet heard about it.”
"It appears that the Munich operation and the New York raid share some aspects and differ in others. From the international point of view, the Munich operation took place in a cold war atmosphere in which two world powers, America and the U.S.S.R., struggled against each other…”
"However, the New York raid took place in a completely different international atmosphere. America had gained exclusivity in [world] leadership, and had, more than at any other time, revealed its tyranny, its contempt of others, and its aspiration to create facts on the ground…”
"While the Munich operation failed to accomplish its goals, the New York raid was very well planned, and accomplished its planners' goals in full. It painfully challenged America, and was an unprecedented slap that had, and will still have, ramifications for the entire world. Unlike the Munich operation, which was limited and had limited national demands, the New York raid had broad goals and aspirations; it rang the bells of restoring Arab and Islamic glory… They did not aspire to gain Western sympathy; rather, they sought to expose the American lie and deceit to the peoples of the world – and first and foremost to the Islamic peoples…”
Al-Qa’ida's and the Taliban's resistance to the crusader campaign… will doubtless go down in history as a model of war between unequal sides… Al-Qa’ida can take over the enemy's [technological] means and use them against him, while the enemy cannot do the same. The mujahedeen can do this because they have come to understand the enemy's mentality and how his society functions; yet the enemy has no way of deterring the believer or influencing his mentality.”
"After the Munich operation, the Western countries knew how to contain Palestinian rage, at least temporarily: they opened international diplomatic forums to the leaders of the resistance. The best proof of this is Arafat's visit to the U.N., and his speech to the General Assembly, a mere 18 months after the Munich operation. The flow of recognition of the PLO increased, and by the late 1970s 86 countries had recognized the PLO, as opposed to only 72 that recognized Israel.”
"In contrast, this time it is difficult to contain Islamic rage, because of the high threshold of the goals: completely and comprehensively eliminating Western colonialism in the Islamic region, and distancing the West once and for all from regional affairs…”
"Some may think that the absence of international and regional support for Jihad, in contrast to past support for the [Palestinian] resistance, is a weak point [for the Jihad movement]. Yet the opposite is true. This fact exempts the mujahedeen from the need to offer any concessions, or to continually lower the threshold of their demands so that it leads to a fall –as happened to many resistance organizations that succumbed to the pitfalls of treachery and subjugation, and lost their principles…”
"Some commentators maintain that the direct goals of the New York raid were shattering the idols in the mind of the peoples and arousing them from their slumber. This is indeed what happened. From the New York raid, it can be concluded:
* "No form of surveillance can provide early warning or permit rapid decision making. Even the Echelon satellite surveillance system, which cost billions of dollars… did not manage to stop the 19 mujahedeen wielding knives.
* "The Americans' marketing of the war is totally inefficient. America could not even find an acceptable name for the campaign. Neither 'Crusader War,' 'Absolute Justice,' or 'Infinite Justice' allowed the American propaganda apparatus to overcome the feelings of hatred for America. They could not even remove internal American qualms.
* "The Islamic nation is struggling against globalization, and it continues with its negative attitude towards Western rhetoric and explanations. The Westerners' rage increased once it became clear to them that [Muslims] could use the same computers that they did without espousing the same values. Against all their assessments, [Islamic] culture cannot be shattered by technology.
* "The West ignores the power of faith. Western civilization, which is based on the information revolution, cannot distance the Muslims from the Koran. The book of Allah brings to the hearts of Muslims a faith deeper than all the utopian descriptions and than the [lies] of the tyrannical Western propaganda machine.
* "Symbols never lose their value. Sheikh Osama [bin Laden] has become a symbol for the repressed from the four corners of the Earth – even for non-Muslims.
* "The Western propaganda machine's size did not keep it from being defeated by Sheikh Osama with what resembled a judo move. The aggressive Westerners became accustomed to observing the tragedies of others – but on September 11 the opposite happened…"
"There are data attesting to the importance of the Munich operation in the history of the resistance movement, and the extent of its influence on the entire world. It is known that a direct consequence of this operation was that thousands of young Palestinians were roused to join the fedayeen organizations… The number of organizations engaging in international 'terror' increased from a mere 11 in 1968 to 55 in 1978. Fifty-four percent of these new organizations sought to imitate the success of the Palestinian organization – particularly the publicity the Palestinian cause garnered after Munich.”
"This increase in 'terror' activity after Munich will doubtless recur, particularly if we take into account that the New York raid was a political, economic, and military disaster for America, 10 times greater than that of the Munich operation... It will gradually give rise to an all-out struggle against the American crusader campaign which, if it continues to spread, will strike at the heart of America."(4)
Special Dispatch No. 353:
Al-Qa’ida Activist, Abu 'Ubeid Al Qurashi: Comparing Munich (Olympics) Attack 1972 to September 11
Both September 11 and Munich '72 Were Media Victories
September 11 Restored Arab and Islamic Glory
September 11 Proves Muslim Superiority Over the West
History Will Prove September 11 Justified
(1) According to the London Arabic-language daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi, Al-Qurashi is a bin Laden activist, and Al-Anssar is published by Al-Qa'ida. The London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat also identified Al-Qurashi as one of bin Laden's top aides.
(2) Abu Iyad with Eric Rouleau, My Home and My Land: A Narrative of the Palestinian Struggle (New York: Times Books, 1981). Footnote in original article.
(3) John K. Cooley, Black September: The Story of the Palestinian Arabs (London: Frank Cass). Footnote in original article.
(4) Al-Anssar February 27, 2002.
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