READER COMMENTS

These terrorist organizations would not have taken the initiative to attack and intrude in Arab countries were it not for our weakness, defeats and conflicts. In fact, they have known that this is the right time to shed blood and to murder all the great Arab people whom they meet. Indeed, these quasi-human followers and leaders of crazy, terrorist and merciless organizations would not have had the courage to attack any Arab country, particularly such a glorious and well-known country in civilization as brotherly Iraq, if they had not noticed our disunity and deadly weakness. The latter have been caused because of us. It was we who have chosen this black path. Thus, no one but we are responsible for what is taking place. Yet, salvation is still far away from us, waiting for whoever takes the initiative so that the other Arab people will follow him and we will be able to save ourselves. Indeed, our salvation lies in our strength and our strength is in our unity. Thus, we have to leave arrogance and vanity right now, particularly our arrogance, to get closer to each other and our readiness to bow out of fear for our enemies.

The realization of the line where al-Qaeda ends and the other jihadist groups begin is not just an exercise in semantics and the study of the meanings of words. It requires careful study and accurate analysis of the specificities of the structure or the general mood of a particular set of groups of political Islam, and the specified social and political context in which they operate. This is due to the fact that the organization grew and developed as a wide network. However, one of the main questions that should be asked is about the branches of al-Qaeda, which have been working actively away from the center. They have to be identified because they fall under the umbrella of the comprehensive al-Qaeda. This includes not only the common goals, but also a matter of the joint ideology and the limit or degree to which both sides go hand in hand and necessarily coincide in terms of time and place. The breeze of the Arab Spring gave echoes of optimism to al-Qaeda; any gaps in power created by the overthrow of the regimes will give al-Qaeda the opportunity to gain a foothold in the new locations. The tragic changes in the leadership of al-Qaeda are associated with its huge failure at the level of people’s hearts and minds. This led to the tracking of confidential information, and to intelligence and information gathering, which are an important part of the successful attacks launched by drones. So, the strategic thinkers of al-Qaeda have realized the importance of public and local support for supplies, intelligence and security traffic. At the same time, that local support was the primary objective and decisive method, because committing to more terrorist acts could lead to repelling the population and revealing the cover of the men of al-Qaeda.

Some people believe that the death of a leader is a huge shock and constitutes a serious damage to the rest of the terrorist group. For sure, that is the case. Hence, we have seen a great decline in the activity of al-Qaeda, whether in Afghanistan or in Iraq. What they are trying to do now is to find a foothold in Yemen considering that it is a destabilized nation. Yemen and Yemenis are prone to fall prey to al-Qaeda since they are simple, poor people and are suffering from unemployment. This is the most important and most perilous aspect on which al-Qaeda is working, in order to abuse the largest possible number of Yemenis. They do so by enticing them with money so that they can recruit them and engage them in their activities. In addition, al-Qaeda terrorists claim that their activities are done in the name of Islam and that they are waging Jihad (holy war), which should not be opposed or questioned. Thus, they constantly replenish their cadres, particularly in countries with no presence of police forces and that are undergoing alarming, unsecure and destabilized situations. Al-Qaeda’s power has waned and they have been incapacitated, so much so that they cannot carry out bigger operations than before. We should rejoice and feel optimistic about this matter, as they are now in a place unknown to anyone. The prayers of Muslims against them have worked, and these terrorists do not deserve to be put to death quickly due to the atrocities they committed. Instead, they should be tortured, and that’s for their own good since what they have done is very grave. There is a plethora of widowed women and a multitude of orphaned children. The nation is in dire straits, and wherever we set our sights, we see misfortune and torment inflicted upon poor people. These people have endured excruciatingly painful terrorist attacks and dirty tactics by terrorists. God’s justice is superior to that of all mortals, and He took vengeance for his servants and made the infighting between terrorists so severe. He wants them to realize that Allah’s existence is true, and so that the best will come to the Arab and Muslim worlds.

There is no one left in al-Qaeda who is like him. He combines the high religious studies, the character and the ability to move and direct the regional branches of al-Qaeda, which is the biggest worldwide movement. Al-Zawahri, the Egyptian surgeon, is known for his big organizational capabilities and cleverness, but he lacks the charisma of Osama Bin Laden. Now, the organization lost the 49-year-old deputy named Yahya al-Libi, who was not only respected, but also loved by his followers. He not only illuminated the path of al-Qaeda, but he also contributed in drawing the ideological method. I think Abu Yahya al-Libi was one of the most prominent leaders left in the core of al-Qaeda. If al-Zawahri is also killed soon, then the top leadership of al-Qaeda will dissolve and the torch will be transferred to Tanzim Qaedat al-Jihad, i.e. the Organization for the Basis of Jihad, in the Arabian Peninsula, which is based in Yemen. It is considered the most active branch of al-Qaeda. We know that their activity is increasing due to the split in the Yemeni army. Accordingly, they are more numerous now, and now that Abu Yahya has been killed, al-Zawahri will be under pressure to find a person who is capable of replacing Abu Yahya. In addition to his status as an old member of the al-Qaeda leadership, Abu Yahya was a religious preacher, which gave him the authority to issue fatwas, i.e. religious opinions, and direct the center of the organization in Pakistan and the regional branches. I would add that no one can replace the experienced man that al-Qaeda just lost, as finding someone like him is very hard. When Abu Yahya arrived in the north west of Pakistan as one of the leaders of al-Qaeda some years ago, he received great respect. He was feared by the most dangerous extremists in the world. He became a legend in the mysterious world of jihad, after escaping from a U.S. high-security prison previously; then he was killed by a drone attack. So, al-Qaeda lost a leader and experience from their ranks once again, after the death of Bin Laden, and now al-Zawahiri is being pursued, so as to completely disperse al-Qaeda.

May God curse al-Zawahri, al-Libi, al-Zarqawi and Bin Laden! Thank God that the Muslims are relieved of their evils!