Comments on: A battle of giants: Hoffman vs. Sageman http://stupidest.wordpress.com/2008/06/08/a-battle-of-giants-hoffman-vs-sageman/ On War & Stuff Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:57:58 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Ansar al-Zindiqi http://stupidest.wordpress.com/2008/06/08/a-battle-of-giants-hoffman-vs-sageman/#comment-503 Ansar al-Zindiqi Fri, 15 Aug 2008 05:30:38 +0000 http://stupidest.wordpress.com/?p=117#comment-503 I'm not too interested in the battle between these two guys but I am convinced that al-Qaeda's future (as well as any other jihadis organization) is that of a "leaderless" organization that depends on individual and small cell actions. Al-Qaeda could only last so long as a heirarchical organization since being a heirarchical organization leaves it prone to infighting, infiltration and also that a certain amount of apathy and stagnation sets in after a time. I am sure many jihadis have learned from reading from the likes abu Musab al-Suri and his anarchist-tainted lectures, essays and books. He has cribbed ideas from the likes of Deleuze and Guattari and others and this has seeped into the thinking of Internet dagawandists over the past few years. His predictions of the heirarchical al-Qaeda being killed, imprisoned and scattered have great cache amongst the emerging intellectuals and isn't about to go away any time soon. Asking if al-Qaeda is "on the ropes" is like asking if Islam is "on the ropes". They have found an operational model that is far more flexible than what al-Qaeda's heirarchical form could ever deliver. The propaganda of the deed doesn't require a centralized organization but a centralized belief system and that was attained 1400 years ago and can be found in the foundational texts of Islam. I’m not too interested in the battle between these two guys but I am convinced that al-Qaeda’s future (as well as any other jihadis organization) is that of a “leaderless” organization that depends on individual and small cell actions. Al-Qaeda could only last so long as a heirarchical organization since being a heirarchical organization leaves it prone to infighting, infiltration and also that a certain amount of apathy and stagnation sets in after a time.

I am sure many jihadis have learned from reading from the likes abu Musab al-Suri and his anarchist-tainted lectures, essays and books. He has cribbed ideas from the likes of Deleuze and Guattari and others and this has seeped into the thinking of Internet dagawandists over the past few years. His predictions of the heirarchical al-Qaeda being killed, imprisoned and scattered have great cache amongst the emerging intellectuals and isn’t about to go away any time soon.

Asking if al-Qaeda is “on the ropes” is like asking if Islam is “on the ropes”. They have found an operational model that is far more flexible than what al-Qaeda’s heirarchical form could ever deliver. The propaganda of the deed doesn’t require a centralized organization but a centralized belief system and that was attained 1400 years ago and can be found in the foundational texts of Islam.

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