Many, maybe all here, know that AQ and it's allies seek to drive the "mainstream" (a far better term than moderate IMO) Muslim communities towards their view, or neutrality.

As a Muslim friend told me early this year, the extremists do not hate you, you are the kufr etc. The people they really hate are those Muslims who vocally oppose them (I'd add those who do not get paid by the state).

Here in the UK terror attacks have several objectives in very simple terms: cause loss of life, create fear and divide the community.

After the London and Glasgow "Doctors Plot" there was an upsurge in attacks on Muslims and those thought to be Muslims.

In Birmingham, with the plot to kidnap and behead a Muslim British soldier, pre-empted by police action, there was cause for concern at the impact of such a plot on community relations. In 1974 after the once infamous Birmingham pub bombings there was an upsurge in attacks on the Irish community; anecdote suggests my use of upsurge is being polite.

Could the reaction of the "mainstream" Muslim communities, let alone the vast majority of non-Muslims, have impacted AQ etc in their attack planning? Would another 9/11 exact too high a price? I suspect AQ has not heeded this, the communities can and have done (other threads have touched upon this).

COIN which pre-occupies most here I suspect is not the same as counter-terrorism or preventing violent extremism. We can still learn from each other and take in lessons from outside our normal vision.

davidbfpo