Al-Qaeda in American Politics

By: Tiderion
Published On: 10/23/2008 10:12:10 AM

A recent story in the media has been a recent endorsement of John McCain by a prominent Al-Qaeda sympathizer. You can read about it in several places but Wired has a great comment section on it which I will mention momentarily.
While it is not surprising that McCain immediately rejected the endorsement, they also began spinning the story to make it sound good. Let me explain. There are several ways to view this sort of endorsement without knowing the true intentions of the endorser. First, they could be endorsing because they want the public to vote for the candidate endorsed. Second, they endorse because they know the public will reel at their endorsement and might possibly vote opposite. In this scenario, John McCain and his campaign are making the latter case that Al-Qaeda is endorsing McCain by proxy in an effort to scare voters into voting for Obama for their own fiendish plans. The McCain Campaign explains that the terrorists do not want McCain to be president because McCain will stop them and they cite the evidence of the endorsement as proof.

Let me share a comment from a person posting on that Wired article's comment section that clarifies this:

Al-Queda does support Obama for President.
That is why they stated their support for McCain, thinking that the stupid Americans will then link McCain to those satan worshipping islamic terrorists and then vote for Obama.
Obama has stated that within 6 months of being elected President, he would pull all troops out of Iraq, thus turning his back to all the American soldiers who died there along with turning over the country to the islamic terrorists.
A vote for Obama is good news for Al-Queda.
I contend that if we look at the stated objectives of Al-Qaeda and compare policy initiatives of the campaigns we'll understand what is truly happening.

The first point to be made is that Al-Qaeda wants the destruction of the United States. Their goal is to bring back the Caliphate in the Middle East but they see the United States as a great antagonizer in their efforts, a source for greed and promiscuity.

The second point is that under George W. Bush, who Al-Qaeda also supported, the United States has engaged itself in two real quagmire wars and a global war on an idea which stretched the military thin and has nearly collapsed the banks and markets. Bush has nearly destroyed the United States. Are we surprised that Al-Qaeda is happy to support him then? I should note here that the Bush campaign was quick to spin the Al-Qaeda endorsement in the same way that their endorsement means they want you to pick the other guy and that Bush is their worst nightmare. Bush compliantly carried out Al-Qaeda's goals. Fact.

What would be bad for Al-Qaeda then? Withdrawing American troops from the Middle East and replacing them with Middle Eastern soldiers. Increasing healthy relations with the Middle Eastern countries and launching cultural tolerance initiatives. Helping pay for and build schools, mosques, and other development projects. Stabilizing domestic and global markets. Encouraging stable governments, even non-democracies as long as they are viewed as legitimate by the people under them. Encouraging civil rights. Solving the Israel-Palestine problem. Ending support for Saudi Arabia. Ending oil purchases. Promoting the democracy in Pakistan. Encouraging an end to conflict over Jammu and Kashmir.

Does it sound like some of these things Barack Obama will do? It may be fun to bomb the hell out of people we disagree with but it only aids the argument of those we despise the most. Average civilians in the Middle East join terrorist organizations because they have no political voice and it is clear, even if false, that America is responsible for that. You neutralize the threat by denying it its own argument for its existence.

Another comment:

Let me get this straight.. the guy said they want McCain to win because we would drive us to financial ruin fighting Al-queda and McCain's camp resonds "al-Qaida is afraid of McCain, because "John McCain will spend what it takes to win the war in Afghanistan and Iraq.:

Isn't McCain making their point?

Correct.

Al-Qaeda benefits by McCain being elected. The American people lose.

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