As the West Celebrates a Cleric’s Death, the Mideast Shrugs

[spanone]

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Until about two years ago, few in Yemen or the Arab world had heard of Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born propagandist for Islamic radicalism whose death President Obama celebrated as a major blow against Al Qaeda.

“A dime-a-dozen cleric” was one response, by Gregory Johnsen, a Princeton professor who studies Yemen. Another: “I don’t think your average Middle Easterner knows who Anwar al-Awlaki is,” said Emad Shahin, a scholar of political Islam at Notre Dame University.

While Western officials and commentators saw the end of Mr. Awlaki as another serious loss for Al Qaeda, a very different reception in the Middle East was the latest reminder of the disconnect between American aims and Arab perceptions. In a region transfixed by the drama of its revolts, Mr. Awlaki’s voice has had almost no resonance.

“I don’t think this will really get people’s interest, I can’t imagine why it would,” said Shadi Hamid, director of research at the Brookings Doha Center. “It seems totally irrelevant to how Arabs view the world right now. They don’t care about Awlaki.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/02/world/middleeast/as-the-west-celebrates-awlakis-death-the-mideast-shrugs.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=print

[EFerrari]

1. Which puts the lie to the claim this man was important aside from

his value as a propagandist.

[TheWraith]

2. Because if he were a really important terrorist, the Middle East would care about him?

That's a fucked up attitude.

[joshcryer]

4. Nice catch. That's really messed up.

[msanthrope]

7. I can't even begin to deconstruct the reasoning behind your statement, but

it doesn't sound good...

[EFerrari]

9. That's right, you can't even begin.

lol

[monmouth]

3. This sounds like spin on steroids to me. Of course he was important,

they just don't want us to realize it. Good on ya Mr. President..

[joshcryer]

5. Or maybe the mideast isn't particularly respectful of terrorists in reality?

That maybe just maybe the Bush propaganda years really were all bullshit made to pit mideast against west?

[loudsue]

6. Bingo. And 19 men were able to bring down the USA? I don't think so.

This whole mess, INCLUDING THE WALL STREET MESS, has been all part of the same illness. Greed.

[joshcryer]

10. Exactly.

Bush wanted the oil.

[EFerrari]

8. LOL. Go do a search and see how many listings are from that area.

The people in Yemen are being killed by their government -- that the Obama administration praised for their cooperation. They have other fish to fry right now.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. Which is the reason that the Yemeni government is still being supported by Obama.

And, why the "support" of the Arab Spring by this administration is bullshit.

[EFerrari]

16. Yep. If people do more than follow headlines

it's pretty clear that our bread is stilled buttered on the same side.

[sad sally]

19. And only the names have changed...

But through congressional hearings, legal briefs and other documents, some glimmers reveal how much Obama has come to rely on the war-fighting reasoning previously articulated by the Bush administration.

Broadly speaking, the administration claims the nation's inherent right of self-defense recognized under international law. International law, though, also imposes limits: Targeted killing is banned except to protect against "concrete, specific and imminent" danger.

More specifically, the Obama administration finds justification through the two-page Authorization for Use of Military Force introduced on Sept. 14, 2001, and signed by President George W. Bush four days later.

The bill authorized action against those who "planned, authorized, committed or aided the (9/11) terrorist attacks." A decade later, the Obama administration contends that this wartime authority remains even if it's evolved for reasons the administration won't fully elucidate.



Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/09/30/125807/was-obamas-order-to-kill-al-qaida.html#ixzz1Zf1Qvjm1?du

[joshcryer]

20. Will you call the Yemeni's who are resisting terrorists like you did the Libyan's?

:puke:

It's clear where you stand on this.

[tavalon]

12. When, not if, you get labeled a terrorists for posting to suspect

internet sites, like, for instance, this one, will you be as happy with Mr. President if he orders your assassination without due process?

[EFerrari]

17. Here's another way for you to measure.

Check out all the appearances by Lawrence Wright, or Peter Pergen or even Ali Soufan, three people who know more about Al Qaida and Yeman than just about anyone else, in response to this killing.

[saras]

11. He was important TO US because he allowed us to make the statement WE KILL WHO WE PLEASE

He had no other importance.

[Owlet]

13. 'Celebrating" his death?

Accepting the grim necessity, maybe. Kind of a weird headline for the NYT.

[Kurovski]

15. People email them their truest feelings. Papers are lucky that way.

[Little Star]

18. Helloooo. He isn't terrorizing the Mideast. If he was....

they'd know who the hell he was just like we do.

[EFerrari]

21. You don't know who he is because he was terrorizing MA

you think you know who he is because of the overblown media blitz.