What Does al-Qaeda Want? Jihad Watch I recently wrote something of a lengthy exposition regarding ex CIA analyst Michael Scheuer's continuous characterizations of Osama bin Laden as at once Robin Hood, Saint Francis of Assisi, and Thomas Jefferson—that is, a man fighting oppression and tyranny, that and nothing more. Mr. Scheuer was kind enough to respond here. Now, it is … [Read more...]
Osama Bin Laden as Robin Hood?
American Thinker Are Osama bin Laden and other "salafi" Muslims being true to Islam's tenets or are they simply "freedom fighters" articulating their grievances against Western imperialism through an Islamic paradigm? The debate in the Islamic world over this question has profound consequences for the war on terror. That same debate is underway in the English speaking … [Read more...]
Studying the Islamic Way of War
National Review Online Translations of this item: Italian Portuguese At the inaugural conference for the Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa (ASMEA) back in April, presenter LTC Joseph Myers made an interesting point that deserves further elaboration. Though military studies have traditionally valued and absorbed the texts of classical war doctrine … [Read more...]
Osama Bin Laden: Man of Love?
Middle East Strategy at Harvard In many ways, Michael Scheuer is the paradigmatic case of an otherwise knowledgeable and experienced Western adult who takes Al Qaeda's word at face value. According to his book, Imperial Hubris, his credentials and thus authority to speak about Al Qaeda and its goals are impressive: "For the past seventeen years, my career has focused … [Read more...]
Today in History: Constantinople Saves Western Civilization from Islam
Jihad Watch Since certain Muslim media are fond of rehashing old history, reminding Muslims of the "atrocities" committed by the hated Crusader—past and present—it seems only logical that we here in the West also remember the past. Today in history, Christendom secured a great victory over Islam—one that is responsible for the very existence of Western civilization. The year … [Read more...]