Will Osama be replacing Howard Dean as the Chairman of the Dems?

[Seamus Fermanagh]

I hope and pray that that will not be necessary.

[Adrian II]

The remarkable thing about Osama's video is how much he borrows from western discourse. I believe it was a British columnist who last week called Osama a parasite of western thought. An apt description. It has been noted before how modern Al Qaeda's propaganda, organising principles (cell structure, sophisticated financing) and methods are. For instance by John Grey in Al Qaeda And What It Means To Be Modern, which is not a bad choice if you have an hour or two to spare by the way.

For these reasons I doubt that we should try to understand Al Qaeda's behaviour from the traditional muslim perspective referred by Zaknafien.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

The remarkable thing about Osama's video is how much he borrows from western discourse. I believe it was a British columnist who last week called Osama a parasite of western thought. An apt description. It has been noted before how modern Al Qaeda's propaganda, organising principles (cell structure, sophisticated financing) and methods are. For instance by John Grey in Al Qaeda And What It Means To Be Modern, which is not a bad choice if you have an hour or two to spare by the way.

For these reasons I doubt that we should try to understand Al Qaeda's behaviour from the traditional muslim perspective referred by Zaknafien.

You seem to imply that AQ is no longer the purely Ethno-Islamic standard bearer that much of its PR efforts lays out. Interesting counter. Have to grab that book sometime.

[Zaknafien]

Oh no, I agree with that; AQ is becoming a banner for discontents of all sorts to rally to, a rebellious battle-flag for the dispossessed across the world to turn to. Much the same can be said of the Islamic religion in general. I don't think that has anything to do with the appeal that AQ broadly has to a majority of Islamic adherrants across the world, however.

[econ21]

I don't think that has anything to do with the appeal that AQ broadly has to a majority of Islamic adherrants across the world, however.

I bridled at this reference to AQ appealing to the majority of Muslims (much as I silently blanched at your earlier reference to having to kill the majority of Muslims in the world).

However, a google search (Al Qaeda opinion poll Muslims) through up the following as the first hit, which is quite interesting:

http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pi...t=346&lb=hmpg1

The majority in four big Muslim countries support some of AQ goals - I would describe them as AQs limited goals - such as stopping US support for Israel and expelling US forces from Muslim countries. They also view US policy as being aimed against Islam.

However, a very large majority oppose AQs methods - specifically attacks on civilians. That's pretty important, given that the defining feature of AQ is arguably its methods rather than its Islamicism (lots of Islamic regimes and parties in the world that don't go crashing planes into buildings).

They are also pro-democracy and pro-globalisation, so I am sceptical of the extent to which they support AQs deeper goals or values.