Al Qaeda (the original version which mounted the 9/11 attacks) may have little influence in Iraq, and they have been stunningly unsuccessful in carrying out further attacks against the United States. But they are a powerful force in Pakistan, in large part because we allowed them to have a safe haven there in order to invade a country that had nothing to do with attacking us on September 11th.
And that means they can make a good deal of trouble for our purported ally in the “War on Terror” General (and de facto dictator) Musharraf, the leader of the only Islamic nation with real live nuclear weapons (not just a “desire to acquire a nuclear capability”) mounted on honest to god ballistic missiles. And guess what? That’s exactly what they intend to do according to this report in the Guardian:
Osama bin Laden is to release a new message declaring war on the Pakistani president, Pervez Musharraf, al-Qaida said today.
The announcement came as the Islamist extremist group released a new video in which Bin Laden’s deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, boasted that the US was losing battles in Afghanistan, Iraq and on other fronts. […]
A banner posted today on an Islamic militant website advertising the pending message did not say whether Bin Laden would appear in a video or speak on an audiotape.
“Soon, God willing: ‘Come to Jihad (holy war)’, from sheik Osama bin Laden, God protect him,” the banner said.
“Urgent, al-Qaida declares war on the tyrant Pervez Musharraf and his apostate army, in the words of Osama bin Laden.” […]
Zawahri began by condemning the Pakistani military’s July assault on Islamic militants who took over the Red mosque in Islamabad, and paid tribute to one of the militants’ leaders, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who was killed in the fighting.
“Let the Pakistani army know that the killing of Abdul Rashid Ghazi and his male and female students … has soaked the history of the Pakistan army in shame and despicableness which can only washed away by retaliation,” he said.
The last time Bin Laden declared war on someone it was the United States, and that led to (yes, like Bush I’m shameless) the attacks of 9/11 which killed 3000 people, as well as attacks on our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania which killed hundreds more, and the attack on the USS Cole. Imagine what he can do in his own backyard, surrounded by a supportive populace, with numerous sympathizers in Pakistan’s own military and Intelligence forces. Imagine if a Pakistani jihadist opposition gains control of Pakistan’s government and its nuclear weapons with his support.
Then ask yourself this question: Why does our President consider the capture and defeat of Bin Laden and his followers a lesser priority than convincing Congressional Republicans that they should continue to support his failed policies in Iraq?