State Dept: Al-Qaeda Is Strong As it Has Ever Been
18 years after 9/11, al-Qaeda remains strong and active worldwide
Jason Ditz
It is difficult too understand how the US measures the strength of al-Qaeda at any given time, but the US State Department is saying that the group remains as deadly and active worldwide as it has ever been, and that they are not any weaker than they were during the 9//11 attack.
Arguing that well-established enemies are as strong as ever makes sense from one perspective, as it allows the administration to continue to justify huge military spending to confront their global war on terror.
At the same time, admitting al-Qaeda isn’t substantially weakened from 9/11, despite 18 solid years of US wars against them, doesn’t exactly put the wars in a very positive light, and seems all but an admission of failure.
This is particularly true since the US wars aren’t broadly against al-Qaeda anyhow. A generation of war that was meant to degrade and defeat al-Qaeda has ultimately done neither, and the US is still entangled in multiple wars for its trouble.
Arguing that well-established enemies are as strong as ever makes sense from one perspective, as it allows the administration to continue to justify huge military spending to confront their global war on terror.
At the same time, admitting al-Qaeda isn’t substantially weakened from 9/11, despite 18 solid years of US wars against them, doesn’t exactly put the wars in a very positive light, and seems all but an admission of failure.
This is particularly true since the US wars aren’t broadly against al-Qaeda anyhow. A generation of war that was meant to degrade and defeat al-Qaeda has ultimately done neither, and the US is still entangled in multiple wars for its trouble.
posted by Satish Sharma at
10:26
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