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May 21, 2007

al-Qaeda And The Palestinians

Topics: Middle East News and Perspectives

An editorial today at The New York Sun addresses the turn in events in the fight against Palestinian Sunni extremist groups which involves soldiers loyal to the Lebanese state gathering "in a posse" of sorts trying to apprehend bank robbers who have fled into the relative safety of a refugee camp, and how terrorist groups have slipped into the historically familiar pattern of "alternating ideological and theological violence with banditry." The article offers an important perspective that has been for the most lost in the news reports on the violence in Lebanon:

... the story here is the rise of extremist factionalism in the weaker Mideast Sunni areas, notably Lebanon, Palestinian areas, and Iraq (which was Sunni-dominated until the fall of Saddam). Al Qaeda is now a factor in all three. On the other side of the Arab states is arrayed the rising power of Iran and its allies. One can only imagine what the region would look like absent American and Israeli resolve and the small but not-insignificant help from the French in Lebanon and from the British in Iraq.

And as usual, the devil's in the details, all of which involve various brands of Islamic radicalism.

So, tell me you're surprised!

Posted by Richard at May 21, 2007 10:41 PM

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