Bin Laden, Please Don’t Demolish What the Resistance Builds

Asharq al Awsat columnist Ali el Sarraf, of Iraqi nationality, wrote an article which revolves around the pathetic outcomes of Al Qaeda operations against the West especially the US and Britain.

 In his article Mr. Al Sarraf lashes out at al Qaeda leader, holding him responsible for marring the image of resistance in the occupied land in Palestine, Lebanon or Iraq. He says that at a time when the resistance in Lebanon was inflicting crushing defeat on the Israeli invaders, and the resistance in Iraq was killing more American invaders, Al Qaeda was in for a series of bombings which targeted the killing of Europeans and Americans on planes bound to the US from Heathrow Airport. The writer sarcastically describes this act as a contribution from Al Qaeda. In fact he considers this contribution which could have been counterproductive if it was implemented, which could have brought about bad outcomes to the detriment of the legitimate resistance. He lamented this failed attempt and said that it will take years or decades to recover the impacts al Qaeda pointless and meaningless attacks. The writer evaluates the yearlong failed experiences of Al Qaeda attacks as follows:

1- Both the US and Britain still keep their military and strategic supremacy.
2- The September attacks in the US and the July attacks in London caused only marginal economic losses which were easily recovered.  
3-  These attacks gave an excuse to the British and the Americans to occupy and rip off Iraq, drowning it in a civil war. 
4- Al Qaeda‘s ideology which considers the Shiites as non Muslims gave way for violent groups to perpetrate brutalities. If these violent groups perpetrate such crimes with the knowledge of Al Qaeda, then it is a crime because this shows that Al Qaeda consolidates the divide and rule system, and if these crimes are committed by the occupation in the name of al Qaeda, then it is a more dangerous crime by al Qaeda because this means that the US uses it in favor of the occupation.                                                                  
5- Al Qaeda ‘s attacks on civilians gave way for Israel to depict as terrorist any resistance against the occupation, cashing in on the Western sympathy with it to impose one sided solutions. 
6- The Muslim communities in the Western states have become a target of all crackdowns and discriminations, manhunt and oppression.
7- The Islamists everywhere have come under manhunts, detentions and tortures without those Islamists having any connection with Al Qaeda acts, marginalizing them and thus denying them access to a political active role.          
8- All the Qaeda attacks have failed to change, overthrow or even weaken any pro US political regime. Rather, they caused these regimes to come under American security tight, which in turn led to these regimes tightening  their security grip on their people in general and the Islamists in particular in an attempt to guard themselves on one hand and appease and reassure the Americans on security stability on the other. 
9- With killing civilians, al Qaeda has deviated from the war code of ethics, illustrating its fighters as nothing but maniac, blood thirsty criminals who observe no values in their war with their enemy( Al Qaeda’ s enemy is also the ordinary people who are not with the organization even if these people protest the policies of imperialism and oppression which they suffer on the part of their governments)
10- Al Qaeda’s operations spoiled the meaning of battles for independence, turning these wars from ones aimed only to help people gain their independence or restore their sovereignty into aimless wars. 
11- The chaotic and infrequent operations proved ineffective, with the organization adopting suspected policies far from the political or military struggle for liberation and independence. 
12- The amorphous (shapeless) and blind terrorist operations against the US and Britain cannot emphatically be equaled to those operations in Gaza or the West Bank. However, these random and aimless operations by al Qaeda have a bad effect on the legitimate struggle in a way or another.

The writer then goes on to say:

Al Qaeda has to reconsider its position and methodology. Instead of bombing civilian facilities aimlessly here or there, I advise you, Bin Laden, to take your soldiers and go to Lebanon or Palestine to launch a legitimate and worldwide recognized war for independence. Good intention is not enough to be true holy strugglers, but this good intention must be combined with well calculated acts which eventually lead to the liberation of land in Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon and Afghanistan. In committing such terrorist operations, your henchmen directly or indirectly work in favor of the US and Israel, as well as the oppressive and tyrant regimes. Hamas and its fellow strugglers for freedom are a thing and murderers who target civilians and launch an aimless war; they are two worlds apart. To Bin Laden I say the legitimate resistance for independence and freedom is the very victim of your attacks. How come do you equal the legitimate resistance led by strugglers for freedom and independence to the operations your organization launch against civilians. Why do you avoid confrontation with Israel? If your men are strong and self sacrifice people, then why do you not order them to launch their bombs and rockets on a place deserved to be attacked. Why do you delay targeting Tel Aviv? Are your arms fit for killing civilians in Europe but unfit for killing the Israeli soldiers? Or this attitude of yours is attributed to a set of misleading ideas? Which was better, to launch these tons of bombings on Israel or on civilian buildings in the US and Britain? Wasn’t better for our nation in Iraq to close ranks and rally all the Iraqis around one enemy, mainly the US? If your followers in al Qaeda organization don’t observe any code of ethics at war, why then do you reconsider these attacks which have proved useless and haven’t changed anything of the world map or even the Arab Israeli, or even what you and your organization call the Islamic battle with the World Zionism and Crusade. After these failed outcomes of your operations, do you still name these operations a fighting for the cause of God? Don’t you think that time is ripe to reconsider this failed attitude of your organization?

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