Why use an ax when you can use a bulldozer? Der Spiegel article, summarizing what we have learned about the inception and planning of the 9/11 attack from interrogating captured planners.
posted by crunchburger on Nov 14, 2003 - 14 comments

Terror's myriad faces
Al-Qaeda, conceived of as a tight-knit terrorist group with cadres and a capability everywhere, does not exist in that form. It barely existed before the war in Afghanistan in 2001 destroyed Osama bin Laden's carefully constructed infrastructure there. It certainly does not exist now. Instead, we are facing a different kind of threat. Al-Qaeda can only be understood as an ideology, an agenda and a way of seeing the world that is shared by an increasing number of predominantly young, predominantly male Muslims. Eliminating bin Laden and a few hundred senior activists will do nothing to counter this al-Qaeda. Hundreds more will come forward to fill their ranks. Al-Qaeda, however understood, will continue to operate. The threat will remain and it will grow.
See also Sowing The Dragon's Teeth.
Or, alternately, Hercules and the Hydra.
posted by y2karl on May 20, 2003 - 25 comments

Dr. Dre vs Osama : I guess Osama heard the news and got sick of waiting to respond. Classic Dre with a new spin. (2.5 meg mp3)
posted by Leonard on Feb 7, 2002 - 3 comments

Has Osama bin Lying? Sound as though the bearded one's been caught on video being aware of the WTC attack and surprised at the extent of the damage. And what about the London Times story early Saturday morning that Omar the tent maker has been put under house arrest? Go figure!
posted by marc-hamilton on Dec 8, 2001 - 14 comments