Al-Qaeda Stronger Than Ever

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A year has passed since the U.S. launched its war on terrorism. "Unfortunately, the evidence suggests that most of the initial 'war aims' have not been achieved," reports Jane's Intelligence Digest, a leading publisher of military and security analyses. "In fact, in the view of many within the Western intelligence community, Al-Qaeda is probably stronger now than it was before 11 September. The reasons for this are complex, but key factors include the enormous growth in grassroots support for the group throughout much of the Islamic world. ... At a time when Washington is seen as Israel's key ally, it has been very easy for Al-Qaeda to present itself as the Islamic world's means of striking back against unequal forces. The West underestimates the attraction of Al-Qaeda's propaganda message to many Muslims at its peril. Another key political mistake has been to focus on secondary distractions, such as the 'axis of evil', while soft-peddling on the principal sponsors of Al-Qaeda: Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The unpalatable truth is that these two 'allies' of the West have played an undeniable role in the growth of Bin Laden's group into an international terrorist network."