Al-Qaeda has changed; Bush strategy also needs to shift--Clark, USA Today

[Gloria]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-07-10-london-clark_x.htm

Al-Qaeda has changed; Bush strategy also needs to shift
By Wesley K. Clark
As the follow-up reports emerge from the strikes on the London transit system, it's not too early to begin drawing the implications for our own security efforts.

In the first place, whatever the merits of the war in Iraq, it should be clear that we still face a threat at home. Already there have been concerns that some terrorists have left Iraq to return to Europe. Moreover, Islamic anger about the U.S. actions in Iraq, as well as the continuing conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, feeds terrorist recruiting worldwide.

Clark

But al-Qaeda has evolved since the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001.

Relentless pressure by the CIA, Special Forces and many other national intelligence and police efforts has made the old, centralized structure of al-Qaeda unworkable.

And we need to keep up the pressure. But al-Qaeda's new threat is decentralized. Thursday's attacks in London have all the earmarks of such a "franchise" operation, locally planned and resourced with relatively modest means, emulating al-Qaeda without the vulnerabilities of centralized resourcing and direction.

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[tocqueville]

1. Clark is right of course

notice the difference in analysis and language from the average Bushian incantations...

[girl gone mad]

2. Thanks for posting this.

I think Clark is moving in the right direction. Not only is his writing here very diplomatic, but he's also steering us towards new ways of thinking about terrorism.

I like that he's willing to open up the discussion and bring different ideas to the table. I'd need to see the details of his plan for volunteer emergency responders before commenting too deeply on it, but I think the idea has its merits. Giving us more control over our own secuity, at least to some extent, takes away that element of helplessness that terrorist groups and the Bush administration have been so eager to capitalize on.