"Al Qaeda would really prefer to have McCain elected"

[villager]

Osama bin Laden's silence on election stumps terrorism experts

<snip>

But Lawrence Wright, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Al Qaeda history "The Looming Tower," contends that "AlQaeda would really prefer to have McCain elected" - the candidate with the tougher Iraq stance.

Why?

"They want to continue to promote the idea of a clash of civilizations," Wright said. "Jihadis are anxious about Obama because he is a bridging figure," he said, and they "enjoy having the U.S. in constant conflict in the Middle East."

Wright said it's baffling why Bin Laden hasn't mouthed off yet, even as his Sahab media wing is churning out propaganda tapes at a record pace on everything from Pakistani politics to a rant on Wall Street's meltdown by "American Al Qaeda" Adam Gadahn this month.

The only statement about Obama came from the Taliban last August, warning him to "change the failing policy and strategy toward Afghanistan."

This week, there was talk about McCain in a password-protected chat room on the Al Qaeda-affiliated Web site al-Hesbah, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, a private research firm.

Calling the Republican an "impetuous leader," a jihadi named Muhammad Haafid wrote, "Al Qaeda will have to support McCain in the coming elections so that he continues the failing march of his predecessor, Bush."

<snip>

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2008/10/21/2008-10-21_osama_bin_ladens_silence_on_election_stu-2.html

[bemildred]

1. Or, perhaps, all these "experts" have their heads buried in their asses. nt