Does al-Qaeda really exist?

[flobadob]

Or is it just a term used to make small terrorist groups movements sound like all attacks are planned by a certain mastermind?

[123everton]

Al Qaeda iis not a terrorist organisation like ETA or the IRA, I think the term tends to refer towards Wahabist political aims, an affiliation to the pronouncements of Bin Laden and his lieutenats it was a training organisation (I suppose you could get like an NVQ in IEDs) it also set up individual quarter masters in different countries were separate cells could draw upon certain supplies. the latter 2 aspects have been largely destroyed or disrupted by modern events.

[Quinlad]

Did you ever watch The Power of Nightmares, the three-part BBC documentary a few years ago?

Well worth downloading.

Here's what it said about al-Qaeda (10 mins long).

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qNvqm_qgM5U

[123everton]

I did see it I've also read a few books on the subject, Al Qaeda is a sort of yes with an if and no with a but, there is (as I said) no centralised polit bureaux or strategic office of campaign planners.

[Ice.Maiden]

It means the base of Jihad, or holy war - and yes, I'd say that in the eyes of its followers, it very much exists.

[zig.zag]

watch out for them square beards

[flobadob]

Quinlad, I know one shouldn't believe everything that's laid out to them but that video sort of backs up what I assumed. I don't want to start bashing the Bush administration again as it's too easy but they have a lot to answer for when it comes to propaganda and scaremongering.

[dabees]

The Power of Nightmares is a great documentary, it was one of those that first started me looking at the world with open eyes.

"Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land" is a good documentary too, it shows how the worlds media show the same story from different pretexts.

http://video.google.co.uk/videosearch?q=peace+ propogander&hl=en&emb=0&aq=f#hl=en&emb=0&aq=f& q=peace%20propaganda

[flobadob]

Isn't it infuriating but that propaganda still works in this day and age?

[dabees]

What's infuriating is that the masses won't believe this is going on, and aren't willing to watch stuff like this.

If it doesn't come from the main stream media, then it doesn't happen.

Ignorance is bliss, that seems to be the status quo.

[R1Geezer]

I don't see how Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt comes into this!

[123everton]

I've always functioned off the basis that when you have two stories that are diametricly opposed that the truth is somewhere in the middle.
Everything you read will have an agenda it is very rare in my life that I have ever read a book or a document where the author is'nt trying to prove their own point.
Bin Laden exists, his camps existed, his messages are listened too, his policies have support, his supporters will fight.
We are at war with an ideology it's not that unlike 1933 all over again.

[keyplus90]

I haven�t seen any of these documentaries ( I will now) but I have always believed that media makes up you mind. In marketing they use a phrase people buy what they see or hear about. How would you believe or even not believe in something that you have never heard, seen, felt and so on.

About Al Qaeeda, my own perception has always been that these people (top leadership) are American agents and are working to give Americans excuse to invade countries. Name itself is like miscellaneous account where anyone who does not agree about the supremacy of USA would be added.

Then comes the real and unimagined problem. Those people who already had hate against double standards of the West and USA, were disappointed with their appointed leadership of the countries and saw face of Hero among Alqaeeda leadership who decided to take this problem beyond simple protests and meaning less resolutions. These people are neither American agents, nor in the control of America or even known Al Qaeeda. So in few words it is a wrong strategy of USA that is back firing and the whole world is suffering.