I keep trying to get back to work on the last chapter of my book, but am too often distracted by reports such as this one.
Lolita Baldor of the AP reports - with the headline in the LA Times: "Palestinian militant groups aspire to formal ties to al-Qaida, but so far rebuffed."
OK, it's pretty well known that there are some universal-jihadist groups among Palestinian militants. It's also well known that Hamas is an Islamist nationalist group. Nonetheless, says Baldor,
Oh, and guess who the report's authors are? Matthew Levitt and Yoram Cohen, under the auspices of that fair-and-balanced thinktank, WINEP (Washington Institute for Near East Policy - AKA, Likud-USA). Cohen, by the way, as Baldor does note (bless her heart) until recently served as the deputy director of the Israel Security Agency, Shin Bet. No agendas here.
Well, too late; damage done. A lot of LAT readers will now conclude that Hamas really wants to link up with al-Qaeda, even though (farther down in Baldor's report) it's made pretty clear that there's a real disconnect between Hamas and the smaller jihadist groups in Gaza. Nonetheless, according to the tenor of Baldor's take on the WINEP report, it's only a matter of time before al-Qaeda lets the Gaza militants (which, she's already insinuated, include Hamas) join the club.
So for many impressionable readers, the only reasonable conclusion now is: the Israelis are justified if they want to launch Cast Lead II.
Lolita Baldor of the AP reports - with the headline in the LA Times: "Palestinian militant groups aspire to formal ties to al-Qaida, but so far rebuffed."
OK, it's pretty well known that there are some universal-jihadist groups among Palestinian militants. It's also well known that Hamas is an Islamist nationalist group. Nonetheless, says Baldor,
"Osama bin Laden's terror network has so far snubbed Hamas and its offshoots for infighting and failure to prove their global jihadist intentions, a new study says."But, where is there any evidence that Hamas has even reached out to OBL and al-Qaeda? There isn't any. How then could al-Qaeda "rebuff" Hamas?
Oh, and guess who the report's authors are? Matthew Levitt and Yoram Cohen, under the auspices of that fair-and-balanced thinktank, WINEP (Washington Institute for Near East Policy - AKA, Likud-USA). Cohen, by the way, as Baldor does note (bless her heart) until recently served as the deputy director of the Israel Security Agency, Shin Bet. No agendas here.
Well, too late; damage done. A lot of LAT readers will now conclude that Hamas really wants to link up with al-Qaeda, even though (farther down in Baldor's report) it's made pretty clear that there's a real disconnect between Hamas and the smaller jihadist groups in Gaza. Nonetheless, according to the tenor of Baldor's take on the WINEP report, it's only a matter of time before al-Qaeda lets the Gaza militants (which, she's already insinuated, include Hamas) join the club.
So for many impressionable readers, the only reasonable conclusion now is: the Israelis are justified if they want to launch Cast Lead II.
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