Syrian leader questions al-Qaida's existence
I love the Arab world. The time I've spent there has been nothing but pleasant and enjoyable. What I do NOT love, however, is the arrogance and overpowering ignorance of political reality exhibited by some of the leaders in the Arab world. Some of these folks would deny the existence of the nose on their face if it would serve their purpose. It's like politics through the Looking Glass.
KUWAIT CITY (AP) - Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview published Sunday that he doubts the existence of al-Qaida, the terror group blamed for the Sept. 11 attacks and recent strikes in Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
"Is there really an entity called al-Qaida? Was it in Afghanistan? Does it exist now?" Assad asked, according to the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Anba.Osama bin Laden, the Saudi-born Islamic extremist who heads al-Qaida, "cannot talk on the phone or use the Internet, but he can direct communications to the four corners of the world?" Assad said. "This is illogical."
Such speculation is popular among some in the Arab world who say Washington has manufactured or exaggerated the threat posed by al-Qaida in order to paint Muslims as dangerous.
Oh, so THAT'S it. How could I have been so naive? It all makes sense to me now. In an effort to draw attention from the fact that the US economy is sliding into the toilet, the Shrub Administration hired a group of swarthy intelligence operatives who flew those planes on 9.11. As much as I dislike Shrub, not even I would be cynical enough to think along those lines.
And then these maroons wonder why the US is so pro-Israel. Well, could it be that at least the Israelis have something resembling a GRIP ON REALITY??
If Arab governments expect to be taken seriously, they need to remove their collective anteriors from their collective posteriors and deal with the world as it is. Until Arab leaders give up their modern version of Holocaust denial, they cannot expect to be taken seriously.
I don't much care whether Osama bin-Laden is alive or dead. The threat to our safety and security remains much the same in either instance. If Arab governments are going to deny reality, then they cannot be surprised when we do not consult them or consider their input. We don't have time to be looking down the rabbit hole for President Assad.
