the idea of "number twos" in aL-queda

[sniffa]

it's a fucking sham. there is no numericaL structure to aL-queda in the common notion that most of america and us, perceive it to be.

this is in regard to the Latest reports of zarqawi's #2 and the inevitabLe repLies of "oh, this is the nth #2 they've kiLLed so far"

if zarqawi is truLy aL-queda then he's not even THE #1 for aL-queda in iraq; instead he's one of say 10, or 20, or 100 #1's for AQinI. he just happens to be the visibLe figurehead for AQ (Like bin Laden).

simiLarLy, there is no ONE number 2, Like say a vice-president. there are 50, or 100, or 500 #2's for AQinI.

and so on down the Line for AQ.

unLike most countries or organizations, AQ is a 'circuLar structure' (concentric circLes, Like the gaLaxy, or a pond rippLe) as opposed to the more common, 'pyramid structure' - this arrangement achieves severaL aims:

1. the inner core (#1's) is near impossibLe to penetrate. to get to it, you must penetrate the 6th ring, and then the 5th ring, etc..

2. if any one member of each circLe (say bin Laden, who is indeed a number 1; or kaLif muhammed was a member of the #3 circLe) is taken out, the organization wiLL continue to function as usuaL.

so, if the #2 circLe of 'aL queda in iraq' contains 100 members, they can conceivabLy, "kiLL the #2 guy 100 times" according to press reLeases.... then again, #2 guys wiLL be repLaced eventuaLLy with guys from the #3 circLe, so we can kiLL the #2 guy forever. weee!!


so, when a report says, "number 2 AQ guy taken out" it is 'technicaLLy' accurate, but deLiberateLy misLeading - then again, propaganda usuaLLy is.

[GOPAgainstGW]

1. It's All BushCo PR Bullshit. - eom

[sniffa]

2. true but

i want DUers to know the actuaL structure of AQ so when these reports are reLeased, you'LL know what it means.

[GOPAgainstGW]

4. Concur - More #2's in AQ, et. al. than #2 Pencils - eom

[blondeatlast]

3. This makes perfect sense. Cheney is number 2, but in terms of power

he's virtually equal to Rummy, Condi, etc.

Any of them are involved enough to carry the PNAC agenda through in the absence of the Pretzeldent.

[foo_bar]

5. 'complete and final elimination of Goldsteinism'

Just once Winston caught a phrase -'complete and final elimination of Goldsteinism'- jerked out very rapidly and, as it seemed, all in one piece, like a line of type cast solid. For the rest it was just a noise, a quack-quack-quacking. And yet, though you could not actually hear what the man was saying, you could not be in any doubt about its general nature. He might be denouncing Goldstein and demanding sterner measures against thought-criminals and saboteurs, he might be fulminating against the atrocities of the Eurasian army, he might be praising Big Brother or the heroes on the Malabar front -- it made no difference. Whatever it was, you could be certain that every word of it was pure orthodoxy, pure Ingsoc. As he watched the eyeless face with the jaw moving rapidly up and down, Winston had a curious feeling that this was not a real human being but some kind of dummy. It was not the man's brain that was speaking, it was his larynx. The stuff that was coming out of him consisted of words, but it was not speech in the true sense: it was a noise uttered in unconsciousness, like the quacking of a duck.

http://www.online-literature.com/orwell/1984/5/