This writer regrets that an accidental technical glitch [a familiar euphemism for "I'm a klutz"] has delayed the posting of this item by a couple of days.  However, the real issue as stated in the title is timeless.

We are all familiar with the fact that Al-Qaeda's number 2 man AymanAl-Zawahiri [or number 1, depending on how much one is impressed by the CIA's proclamation--based on videotapes--that "Osama lives!"] Al-Zawa in any event released an hour-long video celebrating the "victory" of 9/11/2001 and rehashing the usual litany of Islamic grievances against the West.  Most media reports here concentrated on his renewed threats of direct action. For example, we had this from CNN--

Al-Zawahiri says any attack on Westerners and Jews anywhere can be considered
fair, because "the reality of international politics is the humiliation and
repression of the Muslim at the hands of the idol-kings who dominate this world."             

Most European media reported similarly, but France was a bit different from the others.  The reason for "l'exception Française" was that Al-Zawa made a bit of news in singling out France for particular attention.  The sequel deals with this aspect of his rant, and the French reaction to it.

First, a liittle background, for the sake of the majority of readers who have neither lived nor worked in France.  Libération, the newspaper cited, is a center-left publication, the successor of a broadsheet that appeared clandestinely during the German occupation of the early 1940's.  It featured such soon-to-become-famous writers as Albert Camus and J-P Sartre.  With its political slant and its record of continuous publication since the darkest days, the paper enjoys considerable prestige, rivalling that of the semi-official *newspaper of record* Le Monde. The interviewee, Mme. Anne Giudicelli, is equally well-regarded.  After a 9-year stint with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an expert on anti-terrorism, she became an investigative journalist and prolific free-lance writer.  Eventually she founded her own consulting enterprise, named "Terrorisc," which advises firms in Europe regarding economics and politics in the Middle East.

On September 14, a reporter named Alexandra Bogaert interviewed Mme. Giuidicelli for Libération regarding the Al-Zawahiri video. Brief citations follow, with headings in bold type. Al-Zawa actually makes news in the first excerpt, where he mentions the GSPC.  The acronym, in typical French word order, stands for Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, a major terrorist thorn in the side of the Algerian govenment. Salafist is loosely equivalent to Wahabi, the particularly narrow and intolerant version of Islam prevalent in Saudi Arabia. Preaching stands for proselytizing, primarily by  violent means, i.e., by Combat.

What can you tell us about it?

It's a professional document, from start to finish, presented as an interview of Al-Zawahiri that pretends to be relatively *objective*.  The interviewer, who obviously belongs to Al-Qaeda, takes the role of devil's advocate.  He asks questions along the lines of "People say that Al-Qaeda kills civilians. How do you answer?"  This permits Al-Zawahiri to deflect the criticisms.

This video is important because it was realized on the fifth anniversary of 9-11. Al-Zawahiri then brings us up to date: what works, what doesn't work, what remains to be done.  It is in this connection that he announces the integration--the Arabic also means fusion--of the GSPC into Al-Qaeda.

Note: It seems I've run out of space.  TypePad won't accept any further input.  I'll try posting this and finishing up in a second--shorter, one hopes--post.  Here goes...

Webmaster's note: John apparently encountered some sort of TypePad, Windows or ISP glitch we wouldn't be able to reproduce even if we wanted to. I've moved the contents of his continuation post to the end of this post.

Here we go again, with a new heading:

Why this coming together?

Up to now, the GSPC was begging to become part of Al-Qaeda.  But last year, Al-Zawahiri had indicated his reluctance.  Now, the GSPC has strong branches in Western Europe...In joining it organically to its structure, Al-Qaeda shows its intention to expand in Europe. The GSPC is handed to Al-Qaeda as a turnkey operation: fully formed, with capabilities and also contacts ready to fit in.  More, Al-Zawahiri's declaration sends a message to adherents of Al-Qaeda: you can get in touch with the GSPC, they're our home-boys.

And why has France been mentioned:

Al-Qaeda's pointing the finger at France as an enemy is not new. All those who support in one or another way American policy or the international policy of the UN are thought to be enemies.  But this is the first time that France enjoys such special treatment, in being singled out above all in the name of Bin Laden. I believe the GSPC asked Al-Zawahiri to pick on France. Historically, France and the Algerian regime that we are accused of supporting are the two enemies of  the GSPC.  However, since the change of management at the head of the GSPC on the 11th September of 2003, the movement has chosen struggle on an international scale.

So, what is this expert's bottom line?  She says she doesn't think France is in the bullseye, or even the 9-ring.  True, terrorist menaces against France have ratcheted up a click, but the principal enemies remain the United States, Israel and Great Britain.  Most of the readers' comments following her article in Libération Online mimic the pose of the ostrich.

After all this, which seems to peter out in denial, I hope this writer will be forgiven a slight digression into personal impressions.  The comment thread, by and large, reads as if it could have been translated from the Daily Kos.  Nothing surprising in that.  The most striking feature was the bouquet of spelling howlers, and lamentable errors in grammar, syntax, and lexicon.  It is truly sad to see the French system of secondary education, once second to none, go the way of the American public school.

Contributed by John Werntz on September 19, 2006 at 05:14 PM in Current Affairs, France, John "72nd TCS" Werntz, Unclear on the concept | Permalink

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