Exit Strategies

[Merv Benson]

Al Qaeda is basically a parasitic entity that does not aspire to control countries so much as it aspires to have people in control of countries that will let them operate and plan and practice for attacking others. In Iraq it is basically using a chaos strategy in the hopes that an entity favorable to it will take over.

This is basically what happened in Afghanistan when the Taliban came in to control the chaos. You saw a similar attempt in Somalia where the Islamic Courts were perceived as someone who could control the chaos that al Qaeda helped to create.

That is why the "sectarian civil war" which they have created in Iraq fits so well into their chaos strategy for Iraq. I think they are helped when we get bogged down in semantics and Steve is right to be against those arguments.

The parasite analogy would also cover much of their logistics and their day to day operations. I have compared them to cockroaches in the past where they hope to make such a mess that you will want to leave rather than eradicate them.

The recent revelation that they created a phony group with which to ally themselves with Iraq is probably a reflection of how much they have alienated everyone in Iraq.