Shift in Terrorist Tactics

[Titania]

OK, who knows if it's a shift, but "terror experts" note that the last couple attacks in SA, including today's (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=3&u=/ap/20040612/ap_on_re_mi_ea/saudi_american_killed_9) in which an American was shot in the back and killed, are a little different that suicide bombings...
The Saudi government, which launched a high-profile campaign against terrorists after suicide bombings last year, has blamed the attacks on people inspired by, or belonging to, the al-Qaida terror network led by Saudi-born Osama bin Laden (news - web sites).

Terror experts have noted that the militants are using several tactics — including shootings and ambushes where the gunmen do not die — rather than limiting themselves to suicide bombings or swift attacks under the cover of darkness.

They are also trying to avoid killing Muslims. The death of several Muslims and Arabs in a November compound attack in Riyadh horrified many Muslims — something that could seriously affect recruiting efforts.

In a May 29 claimed by al-Qaida, militants stormed a housing complex in the eastern oil hub of Khobar in a rampage and hostage standoff in which 22 people were killed, mostly foreign oil workers.

On Tuesday, an American who worked for a U.S. defense contractor was shot and killed. Last Sunday, an Irish cameraman was killed and a British TV correspondent was critically wounded when fired on while filming in a neighborhood that is home to many Islamic militants.

I think the idea is to become "legitimate" in the eyes of the mainstream of the Muslim world. And to expend less bodies in suicide attacks.

[DonkeyPunch (Banned)]

Possible Saudi counter-strategy --- shoot several innocent Muslim bystanders after each attack and blame it on the terrorists.

[2pac Shakur]

There's no such thing as a "terror strategy".
It's just a big scam to get you fools to buy into the war on terror.


What happened? a terrorist memo went out, informing all the freedom haters that effective immediately they are to change their tactics?
Give me a break!

[BigMactuary,]

I think its like trying to tell the muslim world that OK you can also be a target of "terrorism" and al qaeda can also terrorize your country. of course the 1/2 americans dying in these attacks are "casualties of war" in the words of jack nickolson. so basically ask:

1) who is really doing these attacks (since in my humble opinion there is no such thing as alqaeda) and
2) will they be sufficient to terrorize the muslim world.

[Will Durant]

in my humble opinion there is no such thing as alqaeda
:duh:

[2pac Shakur]

:duh:

You finally made a point.

[The Drunken Actuary]

in my humble opinion there is no such thing as alqaedaAnother rense.com reader....

[2pac Shakur]

in my humble opinion there is no such thing as alqaedaAnother rense.com reader....

Most Americans believe al qaeda is a terrible threat.
But couldn't tell you much more about al qaeda than that.
1984.

[The Drunken Actuary]

in my humble opinion there is no such thing as alqaedaAnother rense.com reader....

Most Americans believe al qaeda is a terrible threat.
But couldn't tell you much more about al qaeda than that.
1984.Most American can't name their own senators...

[Paddyboy1]

Count me among the people who dont' really believe in Al Qaeda. Can someone explain it to me, I've heard they are 3,000 and that they are 60,000 strong. I've heard they are solely dedicated to terror training, yet their fully trained members seem to manage one attack per member per 50,000 years or so. I've heard that they are based in Afghanistan but they are aligned with people all over the globe, people who speak different languages, belong to different religious sects, people who really have quite a less direct relationship to them than Saudi Arabia, or Pakistan, or the CIA. To believe in Al Qaeda is to constantly have to change your views of what they are as the government does. To be honest, I don't even know what the current view on Al Qaeda is. Could some of our more indoctrinated automatonocrats enlighten us? Please use lots of emoticons, that really clears things up.

[Titania]

There's no such thing as a "terror strategy".
It's just a big scam to get you fools to buy into the war on terror.


Well, I agree that al Qaeda doesn't really exist as an organization as our government describes it. But, I think there is something going on in SA, there appears to be an organized movement against foreign oil interest there, and they seem (according to the analysis in the article I posted) to have a different strategy than other terrorist organizations.

There are terrorist organizations and they have strategies. I don't think they sit down to a conference call with Osama and all the other Islamic terrorist organizations every week and discuss their marketing plan and who's getting promoted. But they're not pure fantasy, either.

I agree that the Terrorists or al Qaeda doesn't exist as a monolithic entity as our government would lead us to believe...it's in their interest to paint them as such:

1) Gives them something to direct our fear at.
2) Suggests that massive military efforts (spending) could be effective against them.

[The Drunken Actuary]

Count me among the people who dont' really believe in Al Qaeda. Can someone explain it to me, I've heard they are 3,000 and that they are 60,000 strong. I've heard they are solely dedicated to terror training, yet their fully trained members seem to manage one attack per member per 50,000 years or so. I've heard that they are based in Afghanistan but they are aligned with people all over the globe, people who speak different languages, belong to different religious sects, people who really have quite a less direct relationship to them than Saudi Arabia, or Pakistan, or the CIA. To believe in Al Qaeda is to constantly have to change your views of what they are as the government does. To be honest, I don't even know what the current view on Al Qaeda is. Could some of our more indoctrinated automatonocrats enlighten us? Please use lots of emoticons, that really clears things up.Osama bin laden seems to have a lot of followers. I call those people al Qeada. You can call them whatever you want. Does it matter?

[2pac Shakur]

Count me among the people who dont' really believe in Al Qaeda. Can someone explain it to me, I've heard they are 3,000 and that they are 60,000 strong. I've heard they are solely dedicated to terror training, yet their fully trained members seem to manage one attack per member per 50,000 years or so. I've heard that they are based in Afghanistan but they are aligned with people all over the globe, people who speak different languages, belong to different religious sects, people who really have quite a less direct relationship to them than Saudi Arabia, or Pakistan, or the CIA. To believe in Al Qaeda is to constantly have to change your views of what they are as the government does. To be honest, I don't even know what the current view on Al Qaeda is. Could some of our more indoctrinated automatonocrats enlighten us? Please use lots of emoticons, that really clears things up.Osama bin laden seems to have a lot of followers. I call those people al Qeada. You can call them whatever you want. Does it matter?

A lot of followers?
People that agree what he says, or people that take orders from him?

[Tim><]

Count me among the people who dont' really believe in Al Qaeda. Can someone explain it to me, I've heard they are 3,000 and that they are 60,000 strong. I've heard they are solely dedicated to terror training, yet their fully trained members seem to manage one attack per member per 50,000 years or so. I've heard that they are based in Afghanistan but they are aligned with people all over the globe, people who speak different languages, belong to different religious sects, people who really have quite a less direct relationship to them than Saudi Arabia, or Pakistan, or the CIA. To believe in Al Qaeda is to constantly have to change your views of what they are as the government does. To be honest, I don't even know what the current view on Al Qaeda is. Could some of our more indoctrinated automatonocrats enlighten us? Please use lots of emoticons, that really clears things up.Osama bin laden seems to have a lot of followers. I call those people al Qeada. You can call them whatever you want. Does it matter?

A lot of followers?
People that agree what he says, or people that take orders from him?

Yes.

[2pac Shakur]

http://www.scentiments.com/scentiments/assets/product_images/2082.jpg

[Tim><]

:horse:

[The Drunken Actuary]

Count me among the people who dont' really believe in Al Qaeda. Can someone explain it to me, I've heard they are 3,000 and that they are 60,000 strong. I've heard they are solely dedicated to terror training, yet their fully trained members seem to manage one attack per member per 50,000 years or so. I've heard that they are based in Afghanistan but they are aligned with people all over the globe, people who speak different languages, belong to different religious sects, people who really have quite a less direct relationship to them than Saudi Arabia, or Pakistan, or the CIA. To believe in Al Qaeda is to constantly have to change your views of what they are as the government does. To be honest, I don't even know what the current view on Al Qaeda is. Could some of our more indoctrinated automatonocrats enlighten us? Please use lots of emoticons, that really clears things up.Osama bin laden seems to have a lot of followers. I call those people al Qeada. You can call them whatever you want. Does it matter?

A lot of followers?
People that agree what he says, or people that take orders from him?More of the former but plenty of the latter.

[fallout]

Count me among the people who dont' really believe in Al Qaeda. Can someone explain it to me, I've heard they are 3,000 and that they are 60,000 strong. I've heard they are solely dedicated to terror training, yet their fully trained members seem to manage one attack per member per 50,000 years or so. I've heard that they are based in Afghanistan but they are aligned with people all over the globe, people who speak different languages, belong to different religious sects, people who really have quite a less direct relationship to them than Saudi Arabia, or Pakistan, or the CIA. To believe in Al Qaeda is to constantly have to change your views of what they are as the government does. To be honest, I don't even know what the current view on Al Qaeda is. Could some of our more indoctrinated automatonocrats enlighten us? Please use lots of emoticons, that really clears things up.

Paddy, it's kind of how you view the CIA, only with more Muslims.

[2pac Shakur]

Count me among the people who dont' really believe in Al Qaeda. Can someone explain it to me, I've heard they are 3,000 and that they are 60,000 strong. I've heard they are solely dedicated to terror training, yet their fully trained members seem to manage one attack per member per 50,000 years or so. I've heard that they are based in Afghanistan but they are aligned with people all over the globe, people who speak different languages, belong to different religious sects, people who really have quite a less direct relationship to them than Saudi Arabia, or Pakistan, or the CIA. To believe in Al Qaeda is to constantly have to change your views of what they are as the government does. To be honest, I don't even know what the current view on Al Qaeda is. Could some of our more indoctrinated automatonocrats enlighten us? Please use lots of emoticons, that really clears things up.Osama bin laden seems to have a lot of followers. I call those people al Qeada. You can call them whatever you want. Does it matter?

A lot of followers?
People that agree what he says, or people that take orders from him?More of the former but plenty of the latter.

When he was with the CIA, were his followers called al Qaeda?

[Westley]

Count me among the people who dont' really believe in Al Qaeda. Can someone explain it to me, I've heard they are 3,000 and that they are 60,000 strong. I've heard they are solely dedicated to terror training, yet their fully trained members seem to manage one attack per member per 50,000 years or so. I've heard that they are based in Afghanistan but they are aligned with people all over the globe, people who speak different languages, belong to different religious sects, people who really have quite a less direct relationship to them than Saudi Arabia, or Pakistan, or the CIA. To believe in Al Qaeda is to constantly have to change your views of what they are as the government does. To be honest, I don't even know what the current view on Al Qaeda is. Could some of our more indoctrinated automatonocrats enlighten us? Please use lots of emoticons, that really clears things up.Osama bin laden seems to have a lot of followers. I call those people al Qeada. You can call them whatever you want. Does it matter?

A lot of followers?
People that agree what he says, or people that take orders from him?More of the former but plenty of the latter.

When he was with the CIA, were his followers called al Qaeda?

When he was with the CIA, did you always try to distract people from when you were wrong by throwing out a non sequitur accusation against the CIA?

[2pac Shakur]

Count me among the people who dont' really believe in Al Qaeda. Can someone explain it to me, I've heard they are 3,000 and that they are 60,000 strong. I've heard they are solely dedicated to terror training, yet their fully trained members seem to manage one attack per member per 50,000 years or so. I've heard that they are based in Afghanistan but they are aligned with people all over the globe, people who speak different languages, belong to different religious sects, people who really have quite a less direct relationship to them than Saudi Arabia, or Pakistan, or the CIA. To believe in Al Qaeda is to constantly have to change your views of what they are as the government does. To be honest, I don't even know what the current view on Al Qaeda is. Could some of our more indoctrinated automatonocrats enlighten us? Please use lots of emoticons, that really clears things up.Osama bin laden seems to have a lot of followers. I call those people al Qeada. You can call them whatever you want. Does it matter?

A lot of followers?
People that agree what he says, or people that take orders from him?More of the former but plenty of the latter.

When he was with the CIA, were his followers called al Qaeda?

When he was with the CIA, did you always try to distract people from when you were wrong by throwing out a non sequitur accusation against the CIA?

I wasn't on the internet then. :wink:

Sorry if you can't see how things fit together.
The discussion is about whether or not al qaeda exists. TDA said the thing to worry about is followers of Bin Laden, whatever you want to call them.
Well, the CIA used to work with Bin Laden. Should we worry about the CIA? Or did Bin Laden just suddenly become evil on 9/11?

[Westley]

The question was whether OBL has followers. I know this is going to be a tough one, but try to follow where your logic breaks down. (Hint: pay attention to your change of tense):
The discussion is about whether or not al qaeda exists. TDA said the thing to worry about is followers of Bin Laden, whatever you want to call them.
(Hint: Rhymes with "pheasant")

OK, now this one:

Well, the CIA used to work with Bin Laden.
(Hint: Rhymes with "fast")


Should we worry about the CIA? Or did Bin Laden just suddenly become evil on 9/11?
(Hint: Rhymes with "mon lequitur")

[The Drunken Actuary]

Count me among the people who dont' really believe in Al Qaeda. Can someone explain it to me, I've heard they are 3,000 and that they are 60,000 strong. I've heard they are solely dedicated to terror training, yet their fully trained members seem to manage one attack per member per 50,000 years or so. I've heard that they are based in Afghanistan but they are aligned with people all over the globe, people who speak different languages, belong to different religious sects, people who really have quite a less direct relationship to them than Saudi Arabia, or Pakistan, or the CIA. To believe in Al Qaeda is to constantly have to change your views of what they are as the government does. To be honest, I don't even know what the current view on Al Qaeda is. Could some of our more indoctrinated automatonocrats enlighten us? Please use lots of emoticons, that really clears things up.Osama bin laden seems to have a lot of followers. I call those people al Qeada. You can call them whatever you want. Does it matter?

A lot of followers?
People that agree what he says, or people that take orders from him?More of the former but plenty of the latter.

When he was with the CIA, were his followers called al Qaeda?Does it matter?