Qaddafi: Osama-Obama
I have mixed feelings about Muammar Qaddafi. There’s a certain quality about him that reminds me of Michael Jackson… something is definitely off balance up there. For some reason, over 200 traditional African rulers recently named him “king of kings” although things haven’t gone too smoothly since then. Even if he actually is insane, Qaddafi does occasionally drop gems like the one in the New York Times last week.
Unfortunately, the Libyan leader’s wisdom is often overwhelmed by his madness. The day before his article on “Israstine” was published, he told an audience of Georgetown University students that President Obama should seek peace with Al Qaeda.
“I think Osama bin Laden is a person who can be given a chance.”
I don’t know what Qaddafi was smoking… What could possibly lead him to believe that Bin Laden is even remotely considering peace?! The guy has repeatedly made clear that he is pursuing the exact opposite agenda.
In his last call for ‘jihad’ Osama hailed the numerous problems facing Obama, such as the recession and the situation in Iraq. He continued beating the drums of war like a madman blinded by his twisted vision of faith. He repeatedly implied that America was sinking further into the abyss and that he and his followers would “fight until victory is achieved” or they would “seek martyrdom for the sake of God.”
But Qaddafi interpreted things differently. “Maybe he wants peace.” Unstable as he may be, he must have based his argument on something… Maybe this is the part of Osama’s rant in which he mistakenly found hope:
“Can the US continue fighting us for the coming decades? The reports and indicators suggest otherwise. 75% of the American people are pleased by the departure of the president who entangled them in wars that exceeded their power, and plunged his country into economic turmoil. His successor has inherited a heavy legacy and was left between two bitter choices… It is a most difficult inheritance – a long guerrilla war with a patient stubborn enemy… For if he withdraws from the war, it would be a military defeat, and if he continues the war he will exacerbate the economic crisis. He is inheriting two wars, which he is unable to continue, and we are preparing to open other fronts, God willing.”
Bin Laden released his latest audio message during Israel’s war on Gaza. Although he was calling on his followers to join the fight against “the Zionist entity” (I guess he didn’t know the borders were sealed), Osama never mentioned Hamas.
That may come as a surprise to brainwashed people who think Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and Al Qaeda are one and the same. They are certainly not. In fact, there is a significant degree of animosity between Salafist groups like Al Qaeda and resistance/political movements like Hamas. They do not like each other and all signs indicate that they do not cooperate in any way. A recent article that appeared in the Herald Tribune did well in explaining the relationship between Al Qaeda, the question of Palestine and Hamas.
This deep-seated hostility between the Al Qaeda current of Islamism and the more nationalist tendency represented by Hamas suggests that Israel, the United States, and others might do well to shape policy with these distinctions in mind. If Hamas acts as a barrier against something much worse – the undeterrable fanatics of Al Qaeda – then the political eradication of Hamas might not be a desirable goal.
I’ve gone on the record repeatedly in stating that Western powers need to negotiate with Hamas; despite its shortcomings and flaws, it is a group that needs to be taken seriously in the political arena. However, people like Osama Bin Laden have no interest in participating in global politics. It’s unfortunate Qaddafi saw fit to give credence to Bin Laden and his network. By doing so he undermined perfectly reasonable calls to open negotiations with Hamas (at least for the uninformed). President Obama is perfectly justified in refusing to deal with the likes of Al Qaeda, but that justification does not apply to Hamas.
While it does need to be included in the political process, Hamas and other groups like it have a long way to go before they are accepted in the international community. Let’s face it – people in the US and other Western nations often equate Islamists with terrorists. Muslims and Islamist groups in particular should not be expected to capitulate to prejudice or placate the mass of bigots, however they have every incentive to tone down their religious rhetoric when addressing the international community. It’s little wonder Americans confuse Al Qaeda with groups like Hamas and Hezbollah – their speeches and statements are all very similar. A couple lessons in public relations could go a very long way…
