davidbfpo
04-21-2014, 07:31 PM
Clints Watts (SWC CWOT) presents two very different questions, which IMHO appear inter-related: Would Jihad's new generation kill off AQ's global leader Ayman al-Zawahari and is this when AQ will strike hard?
Link and well worth reading it all:http://www.fpri.org/geopoliticus/2014/04/would-jihads-new-generation-kill-al-qaedas-global-leader-ayman-al-zawahiri
His FPRI article ends:
As a concluding note, I would also put forth that today, more than any time in the past couple years, I believe the West is vulnerable for an al-Qaeda Central directed plot. Al-Qaeda:
Needs a spectacular attack to reassert its global authority as top dog
Could benefit from how an attack would divert attention from its killing of dissenters (ISIS)
Might like to distinguish its targeting focus on the far enemy as opposed to sectarian issues; and
The U.S. hasn’t been this distracted (due to Snowden, Russia-Ukraine, Iran, Syria, etc.) with regards to counterterrorism since 9/11.
Since AQ's No.2 leader is the AQAP leader Nasir Wuhayshi, it makes this weekend's action in Yemen rather interesting. Details on the Yemen thread:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/showthread.php?t=12784&page=5
Link and well worth reading it all:http://www.fpri.org/geopoliticus/2014/04/would-jihads-new-generation-kill-al-qaedas-global-leader-ayman-al-zawahiri
His FPRI article ends:
As a concluding note, I would also put forth that today, more than any time in the past couple years, I believe the West is vulnerable for an al-Qaeda Central directed plot. Al-Qaeda:
Needs a spectacular attack to reassert its global authority as top dog
Could benefit from how an attack would divert attention from its killing of dissenters (ISIS)
Might like to distinguish its targeting focus on the far enemy as opposed to sectarian issues; and
The U.S. hasn’t been this distracted (due to Snowden, Russia-Ukraine, Iran, Syria, etc.) with regards to counterterrorism since 9/11.
Since AQ's No.2 leader is the AQAP leader Nasir Wuhayshi, it makes this weekend's action in Yemen rather interesting. Details on the Yemen thread:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/showthread.php?t=12784&page=5