“People have been fed misinformation. The fact is that the fighting that is going on on the ground in Syria is with Al Qaeda, with Jabhat al Nusra, with Daesh. The pockets, small pockets, of other groups are usually surrounded by these various extremist groups. . . . Once they stop fighting, there is nothing for the Syrian government to hit other than the terrorist organizations.” PeopleHas BeensFactsGovernmentFightingGroupsOrganizationVariousTerroristPocketsFedsAlsSyriaExtremistAl QaedaMisinformationExtremist Groups Author:Mohammad Javad Zarif
“Shortly after news of Zarqawi's death reached the media, al-Qaeda stated its intention to continue its oppression of the Iraqi people.” PeopleMediaNewsIntentionOppressionAlsAl Qaeda Author:Mike Fitzpatrick
“Al Qaeda has declared war on the Somali pirates. That is awesome! Evil against evil. Like Alien versus Predator or Cheney versus his lawyer.” WarEvilLawyerAliensAlsVersusPirateAl QaedaPredatorSomali Author:Craig Ferguson
“Iraqi Kurds, out of desperate necessity, have forged one of the most watchful and vigilant anti-terrorist communities in the world. Terrorists from elsewhere just can't operate in that kind of environment. Al Qaeda members who do manage to infiltrate are hunted down like rats. This conservative Muslim society did a better job protecting me from Islamist killers than the U.S. military could do in the Green Zone in Baghdad.” WorldKindJobsCommunityEnvironmentMilitaryMembersGreenConservativeTerroristManageDesperateZoneAlsKillersElsewhereRatsAl QaedaVigilantBetter JobsBaghdadForgedHuntedIslamistsKurdsGreen Zone Author:Michael Totten
“You know who's upset now with ISIS? Al Qaeda. It's because ISIS is getting more attention than Al Qaeda. So now, Saturday night will be Ayman al-Zawahiri bobblehead night.” KnowsNightAttentionUpsetAlsSaturdayIsisAl QaedaSaturday Night Author:David Letterman
“Al Qaeda is not a nation-state and it has not signed the Geneva Conventions. It shows no desire to obey the laws of war; if anything it directly violates them by disguising themselves as civilians and attacking purely civilian targets to cause massive casualties.” IfsWarStatesShowsLawDesireNationsCausesTargetMassiveAlsConventionsAttackingCiviliansAl QaedaCasualtiesGenevaGeneva Convention Author:John Yoo
“Personally, I do not think that torture is necessary. But it may be the case that interrogation methods that go beyond questioning, but do not arise to the level of torture, may be necessary to get actionable intelligence from high-ranking al Qaeda leaders” ThinkingMayLevelsLeaderCasesMethodAriseTortureAlsQuestioningAl QaedaRankingInterrogation Author:John Yoo
“It [9/11 tragedy] was the spectacle, what al-Qaeda gets its main power from - why their terrorism truly earns the word "acts." They are very theatrical, always - the simultaneous violence, the grandiose, symbolic gestures (the number 911, "United" and "American" flights, the World Trade as target etc). And then its aftermath.” WorldUnitedNumbersViolenceTragedyTradeTerrorismFlightEtcTargetAlsGesturesSymbolicTheatricalAl QaedaAftermathWorld TradeGrandioseSimultaneous Author:Porochista Khakpour
“I assure my fellow citizens that the vast majority of Muslims experience the same fear they do. ISIS and Al Qaeda are my enemies, too. Most of the people killed by these groups have been Muslim.” PeopleHas BeensEnemyGroupsCitizensFellowsMajorityAlsIsisAl Qaeda Author:Debbie Almontaser
“Iraq broke our back in terms of counterterrorism. There's no doubt about it. The first thing, though, that hurt us was the fact that the U.S. military was absolutely unprepared to do anything on 9/11 - or 9/12 or 9/13. And by the time we actually attacked Afghanistan, al Qaeda and the Taliban had dispersed.” FirstsFactsTermHurtDoubtMilitaryIraqBrokeNo DoubtAlsAfghanistanAl QaedaTalibanUnprepared Author:Michael Scheuer
“I think we'll see it mostly in the United States. We're getting to the point where al Qaeda is ready to again attack us inside America. I think we're basically defenseless.” ThinkingStatesAmericaUnitedUnited StatesReadyAlsAl QaedaDefenseless Author:Michael Scheuer
“There is a direct correlation between what al Qaeda says and what it does. And the one thing that has been the gold standard of correlation has been bin Laden's 1995 - or was it 1996? - pledge that every attack is going to be more powerful than the last. If you go back to the first attack in Yemen in 1992 and chart it out, every attack has been more powerful, more destructive than the last one.” IfsFirstsDoeHas BeensLastsPowerfulOne ThingStandardsDirectGoldDestructiveAlsPledgeBin LadenAl QaedaCorrelationGold StandardYemen Author:Michael Scheuer
“In terms of Iraq, al Qaeda valued Iraq because we destroyed a government it wanted destroyed and because we put soldiers on the ground and forces that they could attack. Al Qaeda is basically an insurgent organization that was formed on the model of the Afghan groups. And being bred in that war, they value a contiguous safe haven as much as anything else.” WarGovernmentWantedValuesForceTermGroupsHavensSafeModelsOrganizationSoldierIraqDestroyedAlsAl QaedaInsurgentSafe HavenAfghan Author:Michael Scheuer
“Iraq, for the first time, gives al Qaeda and its allies contiguous safe-haven territory to train and launch attacks into the Levant. First into Jordan and Syria, and then into Lebanon, and virtually and ultimately into Israel and probably Egypt too. It also gives them haven to eventually work their way toward Turkey and into the Arabian Peninsula.” WayGivingFirstsHavensSafeFirst TimeTrainIraqIsraelAlsTerritoryAlliesSyriaEgyptTurkeysJordanAl QaedaLebanonSafe HavenArabianPeninsulas Author:Michael Scheuer
“We have not destroyed al Qaeda, so we still have that to worry about. We have its traditional allies, the Kashmiri groups, the groups that are operating now in Iraq, and now we have a third tier of threat amongst the Muslims that live in the West and who are inspired to do something against the West by the example of the other two tiers.” StillsTwoWorryGroupsExampleThirdsThreatWestInspiredIraqTraditionalDestroyedAlsAlliesAl Qaeda Author:Michael Scheuer
“Initial incompetence is not a reason to be dismissive of capabilities. Al Qaeda itself was incompetent when it started as a terrorist organization. And clearly it's gone from blowing themselves up to knocking down the World Trade Center.” WorldReasonGoneOrganizationTradeTerroristAlsCapabilityInitialsKnockingAl QaedaIncompetenceIncompetentWorld TradeWorld Trade Center Author:Michael Scheuer
“The fact that there are now many entities that may have some loose affiliation with a former core Al Qaeda - or who have decided to fashion themselves as an affiliate or follower in the Al Qaeda jihadist tradition - as well as groups that are just inspired by the concept that they could also be the perpetrators of mass killing, means that there is a spectrum of threats.” WellsMayMeanFactsGroupsFashionMassConceptsTraditionDecidedThreatInspiredKillingCoreFormerAlsFollowersEntitySpectrumAl QaedaPerpetratorsAffiliation Author:Graham T. Allison
“Given that the Al Qaeda core has been significantly destroyed or disabled, and that the leadership seems to be essentially on the run or in hiding, it would lead me to think that probably it is one of the less centralized groups that might be the greatest danger.” ThinkingHas BeensSeemsMightRunningGivenGroupsDangerCoreDestroyedAlsHidingDisabledAl QaedaLeading Me Author:Graham T. Allison
“By releasing these five top Taliban commanders, the U.S. is demonstrating that it is throwing in the towel in the long struggle against the Taliban and its al-Qaeda allies in Afghanistan.” LongStruggleFiveAlsAlliesThrowingAfghanistanCommandersAl QaedaTalibanDemonstratingTowelsThrowing In The Towel Author:Jonathan S. Tobin
“Those organisations, al-Qaeda being the first one, have all settled in areas full of mining and oil resources or in geostrategic zones. They settled in Afghanistan which underground is filled with oil and lithium. North Mali is filled with mining resources (uranium). It is essential to question the impact and role of some international players that create or let those organisations settle there.” FirstsRolesPlayerEssentialsResourcesAreasImpactFilledInternationalOilSettlingZoneAlsAfghanistanOrganisationAl QaedaMiningUraniumMaliLithium Author:Tariq Ramadan
“The Afghan - obviously the parties will decide which course of action. The most important there, get a government that is seen as legitimate to the people and has the credibility to be a partner in the effort to secure Afghanistan so it's not a haven for al Qaeda or other type of terrorists or international terrorist organizations.” PeopleImportantGovernmentActionCoursesPartyEffortHavensTypeOrganizationInternationalPartnersTerroristSecureAlsAfghanistanCredibilityAl QaedaAfghan Author:Rahm Emanuel
“We need to deal with the problem of al Qaeda, make sure that they can't have a sanctuary in Afghanistan and guarantee that we have regional stabilization and particularly focused on Pakistan.” NeedsProblemDealsFocusedGuaranteesAlsAfghanistanPakistanSanctuaryAl QaedaGuarantees That Author:Rahm Emanuel
“Al Qaeda is very media-savvy and very focused on what goes on in the global media.” MediaGoes OnFocusedAlsAl QaedaSavvy Author:Michael Chertoff
“But one thing that we have done in the last four years is we have really put pressure on the leadership of this organization [Al Qaeda]. We have killed a significant number of leaders. We've captured others. Those that remain have to look over their shoulders, they have to be on the run. So that even if we don't manage to kill or capture them all within four years, what we do do is put the kind of pressure on them that makes them focus on their own skins, as opposed to carrying out attacks.” IfsYearsLooksKindDoneRunningLastsNumbersLeaderFocusFourOne ThingSkinsOrganizationPressureSignificantShouldersManageAlsCaptureFour YearsCapturedAl QaedaSignificant Numbers Author:Michael Chertoff
“ISIS and Al-Qaeda and whoever else, that is the only way they stop is after we convert. That’s what they say. The only way this stops is when the infidels convert.” WayAlsIsisAl QaedaInfidel Author:Rush Limbaugh
“Saudi Arabia might proceed toward Sharia slower than Al-Qaeda wants. Al-Qaeda wants pedal-to-the-metal, nothing else in focus, we’re heading to Sharia, and the Saudis might not be going there fast enough, so Al-Qaeda hits them.” WantEnoughMightFocusAlsMetalsHeadingsAl QaedaArabiaSaudi ArabiaSaudisPedalsSharia Author:Rush Limbaugh
“In Nigeria, Hillary Clinton amazingly fought for two years to keep an Al-Qaeda affiliate off the terrorist watch list.” YearsTwoWatchesClintonListsTerroristTwo YearsAlsAl QaedaNigeria Author:Chris Christie
“I want the vetting to be solid. But I also want to bring these people in because not bringing them in sends a message, right, to the Muslim world and plays into the ISIS narrative and the Al Qaeda narrative, right, that this is a war between religions. And we can't have that.” PeopleWorldWantWarPlayMessagesNarrativeAlsIsisAl QaedaMuslim World Author:Michael Morell
“First, I would say, is ideology. I have never spoken to any member of these groups, not just ISIS, but also Al Qaeda, Shabab, etc., who wasn't driven by the ideology. Beyond that, a lot of people are wounded in some way - they've fallen out of society in some manner. All of the ones I've spoken to seem to have veered off course from lives we consider acceptable and successful. Of course, there are others like Osama bin Laden, who was a wealthy and successful businessperson.” PeopleWayFirstsSeemsCoursesSuccessfulGroupsMembersDrivenIdeologyFallenEtcWealthyAlsAcceptableWoundedIsisBin LadenAl QaedaOsama Bin LadenSuccessful Business Author:Rukmini Maria Callimachi
“They're implementing what was the strategy of Al Qaeda, which was to have attacks of different levels simultaneously. ... So the idea is, on the one hand you have these spectacular attacks that take months to plan, and others like Reda Hame, a French national, who went to Syria and was there for about a week, given a couple of days of target practice and one day of encryption training, sent back and arrested almost immediately.” IdeasDifferentHandsGivenLevelsPracticePlansWeekMonthsCoupleOne DayTrainingStrategyTargetAlsSyriaSpectacularArrestedAl QaedaDifferent LevelsEncryptionImplementingTarget Practice Author:Rukmini Maria Callimachi
“It's important to understand the origins of ISIS were in the chaos of Iraq and Libya, and the origins of Al Qaeda were in Afghanistan.” ImportantChaosIraqAlsAfghanistanIsisAl QaedaLibya Author:Jill Stein
“I've said repeatedly that where we see terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda or ISIL, they have perverted and distorted and tried to claim the mantle of Islam for an excuse, for basically barbarism and death. These are people who kill children, kill Muslims, take sex slaves - there's no religious rationale that would justify in any way any of the things that they do.” PeopleWayChildrenSaidSexReligiousOrganizationClaimsSlaveIslamExcuseTerroristJustifyAlsAl QaedaBarbarismRationaleIsil Author:Barack Obama
“My core goal is to dismantle, defeat, destroy al Qaeda and its allies that killed Americans and are still plotting to go kill Americans.” StillsGoalDefeatCoreAlsAlliesAl Qaeda Author:Barack Obama
“Denying Al Qaeda safe haven was the right decision.” DecisionHavensSafeAlsAl QaedaRight DecisionSafe Haven Author:George W. Bush
“Any strike will be as direct support to Al-Qaeda offshoot that's called Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. You're right about this. It's going to be direct support.” StatesSupportDirectIraqStrikesIslamicAlsSyriaAl QaedaIslamic State Author:Bashar al-Assad
“This war [in Syria] is going to support Al-Qaeda and the same people that killed Americans in the 11th of September. The second thing that we want to tell Congress, that they should ask and that what we expect them to ask this administration about the evidence that they have regarding the chemical story and allegations that they presented.” PeopleWantShouldWarStoriesAsksSupportEvidenceCongressAdministrationAlsChemicalsSeptemberSyriaAl QaedaAllegations Author:Bashar al-Assad
“We didn't say that 80% [of terrorists], for example, or the majority or the vast majority, are foreigners. We said the vast majority are Al-Qaeda or Al-Qaeda offshoot organizations in this region.” SaidExampleOrganizationMajorityTerroristRegionsAlsForeignersAl Qaeda Author:Bashar al-Assad
“When you talk about Al-Qaeda it doesn't matter if he's Syrian or American or from Europe or from Asia or Africa.” IfsMatterEuropeAlsAsiaAl Qaeda Author:Bashar al-Assad
“Al-Qaeda has one ideology and they go back to the same leadership in Afghanistan or in Syria or in Iraq. That's the question. You have tens of thousands of foreigners, that's definitely correct. We are fighting them on the ground and we know this.” KnowsFightingIraqIdeologyAlsAfghanistanSyriaForeignersAl Qaeda Author:Bashar al-Assad
“You look at [terrorists] faces, they look foreigners, but where are they coming from ? How precise this estimate is difficult to tell, but definitely the majority are Al-Qaeda.” LooksFacesDifficultMajorityTerroristAlsPreciseForeignersAl Qaeda Author:Bashar al-Assad
“It's not religious war, but Al-Qaeda always use religions, Islam - actually, as a pretext and as a cover and as a mantle for their war and for their terrorism and for their killing and beheading and so on.” WarUseReligiousIslamKillingTerrorismAlsAl QaedaPretextReligious Wars Author:Bashar al-Assad
“If the American administration want to support Al-Qaeda - go ahead. That's what we have to tell them, go ahead and support Al-Qaeda, but don't talk about rebels and free Syrian army.” IfsWantSupportArmyAdministrationAlsRebelAl Qaeda Author:Bashar al-Assad
“The majority of fighters now are Al-Qaeda. If you want to support them, you are supporting Al-Qaeda, you are creating havoc in the region, and if this region is not stable, the whole world cannot be stable.” IfsWorldWantWholeSupportCreatingMajorityWhole WorldFighterRegionsAlsStableAl QaedaHavoc Author:Bashar al-Assad
“In the beginning, in 2003, there was the Iraqi resistance, which didn't want the US occupation, then they developed Al Qaeda, but even then it was never this monstrous, this inhumane and as misogynistic as what we're seeing now under ISIS.” WantSeeingResistanceAlsOccupationIsisMonstrousAl QaedaInhumane Author:Yanar Mohammed
“What we have done is when the threat has been directed at the United States, i.e., the terrorist threat from ISIL or Al-Qaeda in Syria, is to go after them.” Has BeensStatesDoneUnitedUnited StatesThreatTerroristAlsSyriaAl QaedaIsil Author:Susan Rice
“I felt implicated in American affairs.Outraged at the blatant lies about Iraqs involvement in al Qaeda, at the regimes arrogance and stupidity, Guantnamo Bay and all the rest of it. But the poems at the start of District and Circle Anahorish 1944, The Aerodromearent particularly aimed as criticism. On the contrary, there's a recognition of the big contribution to world order made in Europe during World War II.” WorldMadeWarBigsLyingOrderFeltEuropeCriticismAffairIraqStupidityContraryCirclesRecognitionWar Of The WorldsArroganceContributionAlsWorld War IiRegimesWorld War IInvolvementAl QaedaWorld OrderOutragedBlatant Lies Author:Seamus Heaney
“Because Al-Qaeda has been a non-state centered organisation, many of these scenarios do not exactly apply. These are not wars between states. And yet, it seems to me that we make a mistake if we accept the view that states are fighting terrorism, since we have abundant evidence for accepting the idea of state terrorism, and what is most urgent is to track and expose how state terrorism operates under the rubric of "democracy."” IfsHas BeensIdeasWarStatesSeemsFightingViewsMistakeAcceptingDemocracyEvidenceTrackTerrorismAlsUrgentScenariosOrganisationAl QaedaFighting TerrorismRubrics Author:Judith Butler
“Al-Qaeda, ISIS, they can't be Islamic. Islam is the religion of peace. They are bastardizing it. They are frauds. They are calling themselves Islamic and they are calling themselves Muslim, but they're not. Because Islam is as anti-terror as you and I are. Islam is the religion of peace. I'm telling you what our government's position is. The US military position.” GovernmentMilitaryPositionCallingIslamTerrorIslamicAlsFraudIsisAl QaedaUs Military Author:Rush Limbaugh
“Islam is the religion of peace. And Islam, genuine, real Muslims are as opposed to Al-Qaeda and ISIS as we are. That is what has been dictated to our law enforcement agents by their superiors. If those were your instructions, and you have a terror attack and you're out there reporting to the media, trying to answer questions, you'd sound like a babbling buffoon, too, because you'd have to come up with ways to violate the very common sense you know is true.” IfsKnowsWayTryingHas BeensRealLawSoundAnswersCommonMediaIslamCome UpTerrorGenuineSuperiorsCommon SenseAgentsAlsInstructionLaw EnforcementEnforcementIsisAl QaedaBabblingBuffoonsTerror Attacks Author:Rush Limbaugh
“The law enforcement agents believe they cannot call terrorism "terrorism" unless and until they uncover evidence proving that the Muslim mass murderers have some tie to a designated non-Islamic terror group like ISIS or Al-Qaeda, and bingo, bingo. What do we get today? "There's an ISIS connection," and once again none of this has anything to do with Islam. That's how it works at the highest levels of our government.” BelieveGovernmentTodayLawLevelsGroupsProveHighestMassEvidenceConnectionsIslamTerrorTerrorismAgentsTiesIslamicAlsLaw EnforcementEnforcementMurdererIsisAl QaedaBingo Author:Rush Limbaugh