Al-Qa’eda has relocated to Africa

djw2009

Melanie, I am a fan of your articles, but you don't mention that the first line of defence against al-Qaida is prohibiting immigration from Muslim countries. We already have a problem with Muslims already here, but by preventing more from coming we could get it under control.

Keith D

The sad truth is this is a war between barbarity and civilisation.This scourge is an even greater threat than Fascism as our marxist rulers have been intent on supporting the influx of Islam's adherents to Europe.

Inevitably the entire civilised world will grow appalled enough at muslim outrages to take the draconian measures needed for us to prevail.

Reversal of muslim immigration and denial of access to the modern world until we can be sure they wont try and destroy it.

Merlyn

It is clear that in part our lax attitude to Islam is because we are completely dependent on oil which cannot support the entire population of the world and is a finite source... otherwise we would have closed our borders long ago. A thumbscew situation that has many in office siding with the 'winning side'.
It is official that Islam is now the largest religion on the planet.
The answer would be in technology.
Nicola Tesla patented many ideas that began harvesting the energy of magnetism. According to information I have heard, this and many other alternatives to fossil fuels have been repeatedly black shelved, and bought up by powerful, shady corporations.
Time to back science and free our selves from Islam's hold.

logdon

And another Islamist attack in Finland.

How long before our politicians get real about this before we do?

From Times Online
December 31, 2009
Shopping centre gunman Ibrahim Shkupolli found dead after killing five.

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6972377.ece

I have just had an interesting conversation with a member of the EDL.

Far from being the racist thugs portrayed by a media, so in thrall with Islam that any defence of our realm is tantamount to a horrid reactionary desire to ethnically cleanse the state, the young guy was reasonable, polite and willing to talk.

Had this been another age he’d be praised as an outstanding citizen, loyal and willing to serve our nation. War Memorials dotted around Britain list hundreds of thousands of the names of young men such as him.

Now? Mere cannon fodder to be shipped to foreign countries and second class citizens in their own where diversity, no matter how comprised and compromised is regarded as the ultimate in how a state should run.

In this ridiculous climate our Labour Marxists have created they receive the scum epithet so freely hurled by this bunch of pampered hypocrites. Meanwhile Muslims are free to preach appalling hate and exhortations to violence and get a free pass at every turn.

Our universities, once regarded as admired seats of learning are turning into breeding grounds for young Islamists and a global magnet where they know full well that no matter how much is spewed in the name of this violent expansionist creed, the academic establishment and plod will always turn a blind eye.

However it seems like the rest of Europe is sick to the back teeth with Islamic demand and instant knee jerk acquiescence from our dhimmi leaders.

Even Sweden, a gleaming model of the post war redistributative welfare state is rumbling. France is banning the burkha. Switzerland, minarets. Denmark, paying immigrants to return.

Something has to give. Europe is creaking and its citizens are crying out for change.

Democracy in it’s birthplace is melting before our very eyes. The lies spew forth as careerist politicians feather nests and build huge state edifices and ruling to keep us all in our place.

But, at long last our majorities have twigged and a casual scan of reader reaction on the blogs reveals such anger and bitterness at the way we are being betrayed, it is quite impossible to ignore.

Twelve years to totally wreck a country? That's all it took for these maniacs to do their work.

Who will fix it should be the question on everybody's minds as we approach the next election.

Neil McEvoy

Melanie, Yemen is not an African country, contrary to your claim at the top of Page 2. Happy New Year.

Merlyn

Casually browsing through BNPs website, this came to light.
Apparently, a police officer in Newport, Gwent, attempted to halt the filming of an Islamic martyr march led by the TORY Welsh Assembly member Mohammad Asghar.
The event was recorded, and when the member of public asked the officer why he couldn't film, he was told the the police officer didn't know why, there did not appear to be a law prohibiting it, he was just asked by a Muslim marcher not to allow it, so he complied.
What does this mean...

Greg D

Colonel Kemp has a point about a lost Afghanistan and the problems an invigorated al-Qa’eda may pose to Pakistan (although it should always be kept in mind that the Taleban have long been, most likely still are, and probably will remain very friendly with the Pakistani security services). No less, Kemp’s (page 3) comments about Saddam’s hypothetically existent Iraq 'without doubt' becoming a base for al-Qa’eda are absolutely ludicrous; they smell like the guts of the humanitarian fish offered by the Bush administration after the threat of WMD was proved hollow. For one, Saddam and his Ba’athists were brutal totalitarian secularists who would under no circumstances have tolerated armed religious fanatics to organise on Iraqi territory (even those who level the charges that Saddam sponsored Palestinian terrorism will be hard-pressed to find any substantiated reports of religious terrorists actually organising under him). Secondly, bin Laden and al-Zawakiri hate secularists like Saddam and Mubarak and would rather shave their beards, drink beer and read Danish magazines than give up their autonomy to become a secular political ‘tool’ for Ba’athist dictators to ‘use’ against the West. Third, why would al-Qa’eda make itself vulnerable under such a totalitarian government when it could find perfectly safe havens in the chaotic and ungoverned hinterlands of Somalia, Chechnya, or the Philippines?

Kemp – or Melanie’s reporting – is either willingly distorting the truth or seriously lacking political understanding of this issue. But if these words are indeed Kemp’s, his credentials indicate which description aforementioned is more apt for his understanding his comments. Thus, I say ‘bollocks’ to you Mel; Iraq was very much a case of either/or and your/Richard’s argument that it was not is pathetic.

‘Yes, the war in Afghanistan is awful — but the alternative is worse. Yes, military attempts to defend the free world may stoke up further hysteria among fanatics — but the alternative is to surrender to the violence they instigate. Yes, fighting them in Africa will further strain already stretched resources — but if we don’t, Africa will turn into a sub-Saharan Afghanistan. As Kemp says: ‘We have a choice. Either we accept that these people will continually be attacking us; or we put most of our energy and resources into fighting them.’’

Strange argument, Mel (and Richard). Aren’t we already fighting in Afghanistan? And do not attempted and actual terrorist attacks still occur despite this (indeed, aren’t they the topic of this article)? Hence, wouldn’t going into Africa and further straining our resources actually be the CAUSE of Africa becoming another Afghanistan?

Are you in all seriousness suggesting that because of Detroit the West should now begin engaging Islamic militants in Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen (I put this in, Neil McEvoy, not out of ignorance but to make clear the scale of the war Melanie is advocating), Tanzania – the ‘continent’ as you (mis)put it on page one? Will we need the permission of the respective countries’ governments to do this, or should we just go right ahead like the colonialists of old? Andrew Roberts might be keen on the latter option, but I’m sure it wouldn’t just be ‘fanatics’ that would become ‘hysterical’ about such a course of action (page 3). Haven’t you read about the anti-colonial wars and do you not remember Operation Gothic Serpent, Mel?

I suspect that you do remember, and I think that you understand very well just how many nasty little fire ants would come crawling out of their hills in reaction to such a lunatic strategy. This talk of ‘civilisational war’ and the need to expand it to near total dimensions is extremely disturbing. Of what conceivable benefit would wars on several different continents, all of which would not stop terrorists attacks (as Iraq and Afghanistan have shown) but quite possibly provoke many more (and just the other day we read of the massive problems with jihad-prone Somalis in Britain), bring to Western civilisation? How would skyrocketing defence budgets, more anti-terror laws, more travel restrictions and many more casualties possibly benefit Britain, the US and their allies?

But by now the final piece of the puzzle has fallen into place:

‘To identify our greatest enemy of all, therefore, we should not look to Afghanistan, Iran or Africa: we should look in a mirror.’

Thus must we first defeat the cowardly, self-dhimmifying instincts within ourselves (that’s long been a given); then we shall fight the al-Qa’eda terrorist forces in Afghanistan, Iran and Africa –

Hang on now - how did Iran manage to slip into this story about al-Qa’eda (now in Afghanistan) moving the global war on terror to Africa?

Ahhh… I see. This isn’t really about going to Africa (but who in their right mind, apart from Gen Dalliare, would do that anyway?), is it Mel and Richard? As the latter writes:

‘The insurgents that we have faced, and still face, in these conflicts are all different. Hizballah and Hamas over here [in Israel], Al Qaida, Jaish al Mahdi and a range of other militant groups in Iraq. Al Qaida, the Taliban and a diversity of associated fighting groups in Afghanistan. They are different but they are linked.

They are linked by the pernicious influence, support and sometimes direction of Iran and/or by the international network of Islamist extremism’ –

Col. Richard Kemp, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
(http://www.jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/ShowPage.asp?DBID=1&TMID=111&LNGID=1&FID=378&PID=0&IID=3026)

Yes, yes, old fogeys – I know, it’s all true!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/6869881/Osama-bin-Ladens-missing-relatives-found-in-Iran.html

And so on.

But here’s another telegraph worth reading: Gog-gog-magog-gog-magog-magog-gog-magog-gog-magog...

Peter From Maidstone

I note that Gordon Brown has said..'Yemen was "both an incubator and potential safe haven for terrorism"' It would seem more just to say that Britain was both an incubator and potential safe haven for terrorism. Indeed it would not surprise me to discover that Osama Bin Laden was living in London somewhere, rather than in the Pakistani borders, and was on the Social.

Austin Barry

"To identify our greatest enemy of all, therefore, we should not look to Afghanistan, Iran or Africa: we should look in a mirror.’

Mel, in many of our cities and towns it's just a question of looking out of the window.

Austin Barry

"This is a civilisational war on many different fronts, and the consequences of abandoning any of them would be lethal."

Indeed, and this evening a Somali Jihadist, has been caught allegedly attempting to butcher the Danish Cartoonist who established beyond doubt that Islamists lack a sense of humour and irony and civilised behaviour and, yes, sanity.

Jaysonrex

Just like with any type of microbe, virus or fungus, our governments, through their health authorities, must impose a total ban on 'Muslim imports' of any kind and from any source. This will help protect our citizens against such dangerous and highly unpleasant illness that could spread faster than the needed vaccine can be developed and successfully tested.

Regarding the Muslims that already entered the Western societies, they must be placed forthwith in strict quarantine for at least 100 years or more, in order to insure that they will not affect the life and wellbeing of our citizenry in any way.

The most complex problems usually afford the simplest and most effective solutions.

Greg D

Ms Phillips

Once again, I implore you to tone down your Huntingtonian rhetoric.

Jaysonrex’s analogies of Muslim people (many of whom are decent, law-abiding human beings) as microbial elements of a wider disease, a ‘virus’ as he puts it, which require ‘the simplest and most effective solutions’ are, like your exhortations for the expansion of civilisational war, extremely dangerous.

One cannot lay any responsibility for Jaysonrex's comments at your doorstep, for responsibility ultimately lies with the contributor himself; but when Keith D also says this -

‘Inevitably the entire civilised world will grow appalled enough at muslim outrages to take the draconian measures needed for us to prevail’

- one cannot help but wonder: on which intellectual diet have these ideas been fed? And why are they hatching on this thread? And most importantly: do you agree with them?

I have seen other Speccie bloggers swim amongst their fanbase; perhaps you too might care for a dip?

Keith D

Greg D
Like many others I didn't want to start thinking this way.No one wants to see this problem become worse,but surely we have to recognise the problem exists.

As a caring parent I want my kids to thrive in a peaceful world where civilised norms apply.I dont want them to fear flyimg or riding a train.I dont want my daughters to fear wearing a short skirt or being raped.

It's certainly unlike me to call for those who despise our way of life to return to where they would be more comfortable but what other option do we have bar surrender?

Yam Yam

The Brazilian revolutionary Carlos Marighela once observed that the way for revolutionary violence to succeed is for the revolutionaries' own act to so enrage the authorities that their subsequent violent over-reaction causes ordinary people to view the state as a bigger threat to them than the revolutionaries are.

It would appear that by widened their military reaction to encompass every Muslim country where Al Qaeda might conceivably have a presence the United States and its allies are walking into precisely the elephant trap that Marighela described, alienating millions of ordinary Muslims along the way.

Violent Islamicists may portray themselves as engaged in a divinely-ordained clash of cultures, but they very much feed upon pre-existing grievances amongst Muslims. They will only be truly defeated when (as happened in Iraq, and may yet happen in Pakistan) those same ordinary Muslims see through the false promises of the fanatics and start spewing them out of their midst.

Greg D

Keith D

‘As a caring parent I want my kids to thrive in a peaceful world where civilised norms apply. I dont want them to fear flyimg or riding a train. I dont want my daughters to fear wearing a short skirt or being raped.’

I fully empathise with your concerns. I have the same wishes. But at the same time, I don’t think that imagining this multilayered conflict as black and white or even as widespread as Melanie claims it is will help in reaching such goals. Ms Phillips is not a strategist but a polemicist; if you really would like to understand the nuances of this conflict, I highly recommend that you read David Kilcullen’s ‘The Accidental Guerrilla’.

You are right that there is a problem with Muslim immigration. There is simply too much of it, and multikult doctrine has prevented those who have already come from fully integrating into British society. This is, literally, a bloody shame; innocent British families have paid for it in the form of coffins for their loved ones who themselves paid with their lives.

It is probably for the best if immigration were slowed to the smallest trickle (unless we are happy with dramatically reduced living standards, we need some newcomers; Australia has a good example of rational immigration policy), but we do not need the draconian measure of expulsion. As a nation, Britain is capable of reversing multikult and encouraging integration and assimilation. The Lib-Lab-Con trick must be exposed and dismantled. Politically incorrect parties that will force real change onto the agenda are the way to go. But I suspect that I am preaching to the converted now.

Essentially, what I mean to say is: don’t swallow Ms Phillips’ bait. If she decided to write every other article on the dangers reckless cyclists pose to motorists some people (I’m not suggesting you, but Jaysonrex or Austin Barry would have a cracker ‘gotta cracker? gotta cracker?’) would undoubtedly start clamouring for a ban on bicycles not just in urban areas but across the entire country.

Now, for those who have suffered the loss of a loved one in such an accident, this might understandably seem a good idea; but considered in the wider scheme of things it is completely irrational. There are other avenues to approach the problem, such as bicycle lanes, proximity alarms, etc. You see where I am going; Jaysonrex’s ‘semi-final solutions’ reek of the most rank and vile prejudice.

Remember that in the early 1900s people of Jewish background often occupied prominent positions within subversive Communist and anarchist movements (read Robert Wistrich if you do not believe me); this fact was used as a brush by propagandists to tar the entire Jewish community (the vast majority of which consisted of decent, law-abiding folk) as a fifth-column deserving expulsion or worse. The two situations are not parallel, TO BE SURE; most religious Jews were as strongly opposed to Communism as were their Christian cousins. No less, Islam is not monolithic nor inherently terroristic (if it is, why aren’t Sufis bombing people?), and the vitriol that was and is directed towards a ‘problematic’ minority remains more or less the same. As such, we need to be on guard that our civilisation does not descend once more into the barbarity that was the end result of such talk and thoughts in the past.

That is why I asked in my first post whether Melanie was in all seriousness suggesting that because of Detroit the West should begin waging wars throughout the African continent. Her recommended course of action is making Mount Everest out of a molehill and would, if ever followed, undoubtedly lead to fiscal and social implosion. Overreactions are not necessary and are often counterproductive. Yam Yam is exactly right.

In short, the article above is an irresponsible piece of journalism that distorts the truth of the matter in order to encourage a paranoid and militant world-view that sees deadly threats in every foreign crook and nanny. If you really do care about the future of your children, Keith, don’t buy into it.

FaustiesBlog Libertarian

Oh come on, Melanie!

This war on terror is government hype. It gives them more power and prestige.

It is becoming clearer by the day that this so-called terrorist was a CIA (or similar) plant. There are so many holes in the CIA's story that it is simply not believable.

It seems to me that this is yet another case of problem --> reaction --> solution, where the government got the solution it wanted all along (more control at airports, more restrictions) having concocted the problem in the first place.

Even the BBC thinks so! So does the Mail's McKay? You only have to read the list of holes in the governments' stories to see that a whole lot of people are telling a whole lot of porkies.

http://bit.ly/7ur3lF

It is the politics of fear. The winners? Watch the BBC's documentary!

Sam Hussey

Firstly, Yemen is not a African country. Africa is the most Pro-American continent in the world. There is more goodwill towards the United States in Africa than anywhere else bar it's very immediate area. It's not advisable to mar the image of Africa further and taint it with Islamism.

Remember the 9/11 attacks were planned in Europe and there is a long-strand of Anti-Americanism in that continent. That Islamism bounces off.

Stuart Seacole Smith

Seems to me Greg D (4th jan 12.05) has got about the right balance. One thing though - people are very angry about the poisonous and violent global influence of islam, and sometimes it makes them overstate their case a bit, which is worth bearing in mind before getting too het up.

Take the bollock-bomber - what did many of us immediately think? Here we go again:
- more muslim barbarity, wunderbar.
- UK connection, I'm lovin' it.
- prospect of ridiculous PC routine and predictable same-security (strictly no smart-targetting) rigmarole for us all at airports from now on. Great.
- mass immigration from muslim countries to be allowed to continue unabated (a house? this way sir... some shopping money? trouser this wedge old bean... medical niggles? Just shufty up the queue and shove in front of that silly old bag with the zimmer...)

In short, the same old same old. Just with more hassles imposed indiscriminately on all air passengers.

I'm no security or immigration profiling expert, but I think that over the last decade just a few oh-so-subtle commonalities can be found among the various pant, shoe, box-cutter and other murderers or would be murderers. Just can't think what they are right now...oh well, best just waste time ineffectually checking everyone then. Maybe start by taking aside that pasty-faced Scottish woman with the suspiciously large bottle of Irn-Bru and the three argumentative chip-scoffing kids first...

FuastiesBlogLib (5.55pm): as for the war on terror being government hype, and "even the BBC thinks so"... you are surely having a little laugh here. I think what you meant was "and of course the BBC thinks so". Bear in mind that BBC news is now so heavily editorialised that it is no longer worthy of being called news, and many of its "insightful documentaries" are just pure left-liberal propaganda - they barely even bother to try to hide it anymore.

Just read and watch the BBC output with a critical eye for political and idealogical bias - there's a bright and wonderful world of cant out there, and you'll love it!

As for Melanie Phillips' last line about our greatest enemy, I couldn't agree more. The mealy-mouthed hand-wringing nation that will stare back at you in that mirror is quite a sight. If you look closely you may even see a ghostly image of Jack Straw hovering malevolently behind you.