Quote:
Originally Posted by busdriver01
Because they weren't international until we invaded Iraq right? It amazes me that people can form such rigged views without knowing the first damn thing about the subject.
|
I never said they weren't international. "Movement" was the key word in what I said and you probably should have bolded that. Obviously they had a membership that spanned various countries. My point is they were a finite self-contained group that has now transcended that and become a global movement. Most of the original AQ guys have been killed and Bin Ladin / Zawahiri have been marginalized on an operational level. It doesn't really matter much because Bush's moronic policies have transformed Al Qaeda into a massive movement that no longer requires any direct participation on behalf of the original Al Qaeda. AQ in Iraq is a perfect example of that. A bunch of foreign Jihadis basically started up a franchise and slapped a logo on it.
If you want a good read on the subject I'd suggest this:
Think Again: Al Qaeda
It requires registration to read but it only takes a few seconds.