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Hunting Bin Laden: How al-Qaeda is Winning the
War on Terrorism INTERESTINGLY, both the books have a common theme of terrorism which has fermented between the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan on the North-West regions of Waziristan and Khyber Pass. The first book fixes responsibility of al-Qaeda’s terrorism in ISI (Pakistan’s military intelligence service) that is funded by Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, the real powers behind 9/11, continue to receive tens of billions of dollars in U.S. aid, and are totally unmolested." The truth of the matter is that real Axis of Evil is ISI, leading members of the Saudi Arabian ruling class and the violent extremist Sunni groups. The hijackers of 9/11 were Saudi Arabians and were supported by the Saudi Arabian royal family. Seeds of al-Qaeda were sown by the foreign jihadists in the 1980s. They are fanatics caring the flag of jihad (holy war) against the Christians who are considered by them anti Islam. In reality, the fight is for power domination under the umbrella of religion. The orthodox Muslims are supporting the terrorist movement. The author’s recent visit presents a candid assessment of Bin Laden’s being at large because Pakistan is extending him haven in an impregnable stronghold in the Middle East.
The present work pinpoints that the planning centre of attacks is the tribal regions located on the borders between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Many al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters took shelter in these regions. These regions did not have strong hold of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Taking advantage of the situation, the militants regrouped here. They recruited youth for suicide mission which inflicted more than 6,000 causalities in attacks in the world over. In the remote valleys, where law and justice are rare, the Taliban are recruiting younger persons for suicide mission. Burqa (veil) is being imposed on the women folk while education to the girls is proscribed by the Taliban clerics. The Taliban look to the past and majority of them are looking to future. Innocent victims are moderate Muslims. This is crux of conflict inside between the extremists and the moderates. The author suggests that the US should reach out to the moderate Muslims in Afghanistan and pour in resources and security forces necessary to turn the country into an example of strong progressive Islamic state. Under the given situation, the warring groups need to change their attitude towards each other and develop a sense of sympathy for others. Inter-faith dialogues will pave way for peace and harmony.
The second book, The Al-Qaeda Connection, is written by an eminent Pakistani journalist. It is based on his personal interviews. Being a Pakistani in origin, he could fair to the facts which are prevailing in the regions located between Pakistan and Afghanistan. With informative survey style without critical analysis, he has adopted beaten path with radical information. The author gives authentic information about the regional areas infested with al-Qaeda and the Taliban. He has not explained motives and compulsions of the Pakistan state in giving full support to the militants when it is getting aid from the US to fight militancy in the country. Both the works are
informative and interesting. These are useful for the common readers
for having bird’s-eye view of the global phenomenon of terrorism.
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The
book, Hunting Bin Laden, focuses on the current global
phenomenon of terrorism. Recent terrorist attacks carried out with
sophisticated weaponry are meticulously calculated. Sometimes the
attacks are suicidal, and sometimes the terrorists escape to their
hidden havens. In December 2001, the Americans bombed several hideouts
of the Taliban in Afghanistan. However, they could not wipe them out.
In
the Qu’ranic sense, the meaning of jihad (holy war) is to
eradicate ignorance (zahalit) and non-believers in the unity of
Allah (tauhid). The jihadists are ignoring the contemporary
context of the term "jihad". The essence of the Qu’ran is
peace and harmony. Therefore, Dharma Yudha or jihad is
defensive violence. The objective of human life is to be peace, truth,
and justice. The author rightly sums up that the "war on
terrorism is between the United States and Islamic fascism".