Many Bombs but Links Are Unclear
By DOUGLAS JEHL, The New York Times, Published: July 24, 2005
WASHINGTON, July 23 - First came Bali, then Riyadh, Casablanca and Istanbul, then Madrid, Taba, London, and now, Sharm el Sheik, all sites in the last three years of major terrorist attacks involving big bombs aimed at soft targets.
In each case, the attack was quickly described by authorities as having "the hallmarks of Al Qaeda," in the sense that it involved synchronized strikes or sophistication in planning. But to date, none have been traced to Osama bin Laden, the fugitive leader of Al Qaeda, or to other pivotal leaders of what American officials now call Al Qaeda Central, to distinguish from its offshoots, admirers and those who its successes have simply inspired.
No one can yet say who was ultimately behind the attacks in London's Underground trains and double-decker buses this month, although the four dead bombers and a handful of other suspects have been identified. The question of who was responsible for the attacks on Saturday in Sharm el Sheik, Egypt's most cosmopolitan Red Sea resort, appears even more of a mystery.
NOTE: The above cites the following work by Paul R. Pillar, the National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia, "Counterterrorism after Al Qaeda" Published in The Washington Quarterly, volume 27, no.3, Summer 2004, pp 101-113.
WASHINGTON, July 23 - First came Bali, then Riyadh, Casablanca and Istanbul, then Madrid, Taba, London, and now, Sharm el Sheik, all sites in the last three years of major terrorist attacks involving big bombs aimed at soft targets.
In each case, the attack was quickly described by authorities as having "the hallmarks of Al Qaeda," in the sense that it involved synchronized strikes or sophistication in planning. But to date, none have been traced to Osama bin Laden, the fugitive leader of Al Qaeda, or to other pivotal leaders of what American officials now call Al Qaeda Central, to distinguish from its offshoots, admirers and those who its successes have simply inspired.
No one can yet say who was ultimately behind the attacks in London's Underground trains and double-decker buses this month, although the four dead bombers and a handful of other suspects have been identified. The question of who was responsible for the attacks on Saturday in Sharm el Sheik, Egypt's most cosmopolitan Red Sea resort, appears even more of a mystery.
NOTE: The above cites the following work by Paul R. Pillar, the National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia, "Counterterrorism after Al Qaeda" Published in The Washington Quarterly, volume 27, no.3, Summer 2004, pp 101-113.
posted by Gordon Stables | 4:20 PM
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