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The Origin And Myth Of `Al Qaeda`

This is a clip from the 3-part BBC series "The Power of Nightmares." Here, the origins of the name "al Qaeda" are explained, as is the myth of the power and reach of Osama bin Laden and the so-called "al Qaeda network."

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15 Comments

Current View: 15 / Show all Comments

phatryde : LVL 23: VP 3.2: said:

phatryde

3 votes NegativePositive

716 days 10 hours ago...

Fear Qaeda lol, Cave Dwellers taking on a whole nation. I love how they can find Saddam Hussien who had an army behind him, and a whole country but not Bin Laden.

awanis : LVL 33: VP 4.2: said:

awanis

-2 votes NegativePositive

716 days 10 hours ago...

Osama bin Laden IS INNOCENT?

klavlav : LVL 27: VP 3.6: said:

klavlav

7 votes NegativePositive

716 days 8 hours ago...

^ I don`t think the point is that Bin Laden is "innocent", I think it`s a bit more subtle than that; it`s that, to the degree that Bin Laden is responsible, it`s largely due to the responsibility that the United States has given him by disingenuously contstructing him as an almost supernatural monster.

"It takes two to tango" goes the old saying, and Bin Laden and the US have been engaged in a deasly dance that has actually worked to both of their benefit.

PrimordialMeme : LVL 1: VP 1: said:

PrimordialMeme

4 votes NegativePositive

713 days 6 hours ago...

This is an amazing documentary. Liberals and conservatives of all stripes agree that this is essential for you to see. It gives an objective, clear analysis of the situation. You really have no idea whats going on in the world until you see it. This should be required viewing for every college political science course.

Sarisel : LVL 36: VP 4.4: said:

Sarisel

4 votes NegativePositive

713 days 6 hours ago...

I think everyone noticed how Bin Laden`s face changed with every new video released after 9/11 - cosmetic surgery or ...?

Smokey-69er : LVL 9: VP 1.8: said:

Smokey-69er

3 votes NegativePositive

713 days 2 hours ago...

I have been to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran and everytime you mention Al Qaeda the locals literally laugh and look at you like wtf are you on? the fact is Al Qaeda was a small(ish) group who were immortalised by confronting the `common enemy` of some middle eastern states.

Now any motherfucking terrorist is a part or linked to Al Qaeda if they like it or not, the US government are solely to blame for this and there is no secret how `desperate` they are to catch Osama! how many years has the worlds most powerful and technologically advanced nation been trying to catch 1 man and his AK47? i mean they have caught all his `generals` several times over, the reality is as long as the Bin Ladens continue to invest billions into the US economy Osama is pretty much safe

Pharsical : LVL 29: VP 3.8: said:

Pharsical

2 votes NegativePositive

712 days 23 hours ago...

Here is a link to the 3-part series. And yes, it explains exactly who was behind this blunder and how they did it. It is absolutely the best piece (that I have seen) to explain how the Administration was taken over from within.

It made me hate activist Christians less, shows the roots of bin Laden`s power, and puts terrorism into the context of the Arab world struggling against its influence.

It is required viewing for anyone who says they care at all about Iraq. All verifiable. All quite eye-opening. So wake up and watch.

http://www.archive.org/details/ThePowerOfNightmares

istya : LVL 31: VP 4: said:

istya

0 votes NegativePositive

712 days 21 hours ago...

Wow. Simply amazing. A video that`s "all verifiable" without a single source cited. Brilliant. Why deal with reality when you can just say it was all made up?

Doodlebugger : LVL 14: VP 2.3: said:

Doodlebugger

-1 votes NegativePositive

712 days 18 hours ago...

That is quite a bit of fiction. Have any of you heard of a man called As-ba`ah Al-Hartiyeh? That was his birth name. He was later known as Sheikh Abdullah Yusuf Azzam. Well, he was the inspriation to Osama Bin Laden as well as his mentor. He organized the group now known as Al Queada (with various spelling variations) in 1988. He was assassinated in 1989 and Osama replaced him. The video insinuates that there was no orginaization prior to early 2001. Believe as you will. If you would still look to the defense of poor Mr Osama, please read "In Defense of Islam In Light of the Events of September 11th"; Troid Publications. You will then, I think, have a different view.

Pharsical : LVL 29: VP 3.8: said:

Pharsical

1 votes NegativePositive

712 days 15 hours ago...

^^ Hey jackass, who the fuck takes up video time to cite sources in a picture show? Ask a friend where the library is, dipshit.

^ Uh, obviously you didn`t watch the full video and are just making stuff up (your beloved leaders would be proud). You`re quite a ridiculous mammal to believe anyone would defend bin Laden. Also, this "In Defense of Islam" cannot be found anywhere on amazon.com (shows up at the top of google, but not in the linked source...which is wikipedia -- nice scholarship, btw). Good luck hiding behind THAT towering authority on the subject.

Doodlebugger : LVL 14: VP 2.3: said:

Doodlebugger

0 votes NegativePositive

712 days 15 hours ago...

The video is right about one thing. The concept was an American one, but long before 9/11. It was when mujahadin were fighting the Soviets. The resistance was having trouble recruiting and retaining fighters. The CIA, et. al., had the brilliant idea of branding it a holy war in the fashion of Mohammed Ibn Abd al-Wahab where the word Wahabism was born. This was passed along to US allie at the time UBL. Long time ago. Not as a part of a plot to take over the world though. IMHO

Pharsical : LVL 29: VP 3.8: said:

Pharsical

3 votes NegativePositive

712 days 15 hours ago...

^ True, the full series touches on the Mujahedeen, and tells a compelling tale of how Rummy, Perle, and Wolfowitz spent their energies trying to tie the IRA, disparate (local) Middle East insurgents, and all other terrorist organizations into a cohesive organization that was controlled by the Soviets.

The CIA ridiculed their unverifiable assumptions b/c there simply was no evidence, and their crazy ass idea that Soviets controlled all extremist movements across the world was proven false. Is it such a stretch to believe they would later tie together separate extremist movements into another global organization called Al Qaeda? I find it more than suspicious that not even bin Laden had used the term until after 9/11, after the neocon tall tales had been spread through the media.

Doodlebugger : LVL 14: VP 2.3: said:

Doodlebugger

-1 votes NegativePositive

712 days 13 hours ago...

I agree there is some conniving going on... but then again a rose by any other name...I believe there will always be a dominant power in the world (biggest dog)...at least there always has been. Who does one want it to be is the question.

D! : LVL 42: VP 5: said:

D!

0 votes NegativePositive

712 days 13 hours ago...

istya, you douchebag, and doodlebugger,

if you think something in the documentary is in error SAY SO and we can discuss facts or reasoning.

But instead, you right wing douches of course would just prefer to believe whatever makes you feel better.

Doodlebugger : LVL 14: VP 2.3: said:

Doodlebugger

1 votes NegativePositive

712 days 11 hours ago...

The short clip posted is a bit misleading as to the content of the entire video series. The entire series is something with which I don`t disagree, although there are some questionable comparisons made. Both extremes are right in there isolation of the problem and at the same time there solution is wrong to at least some degree.

The language you use D! creates visions of great wisdom.

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