Bin Laden’s Dissidents – SPIEGEL ONLINE

Posted on July 18th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: International Terrorism.

Bin Laden’s Dissidents: Turning their Backs on Jihad

If one imagines al-Qaida as experts have characterized it — as a system of terror franchises with branches worldwide — then there is clearly an uprising taking place among many branch managers. They are distancing themselves from the icons of terror, and from their goals and methods. So far, it apparently remains an internal process, disputes within the various groups that have been smoldering for some time and are now rising to the surface. And there is little to indicate a causal connection between this development and the United States-led war on global terrorism.

Bin Laden’s Dissidents: ‘Things Are Slowly Changing’

It is a heavy blow to bin Laden and Zawahiri when one of the founders of their network describes al-Qaida’s ideology and the attacks of Sept. 11 as mistakes. “Dr. Fadl is fundamentally questioning their theological authority,” says Lawrence Wright, who describes the history of al-Qaida in his book, “The Looming Tower.” In a recent piece for the New Yorker, Wright wrote “Fadl repeatedly emphasizes that it is forbidden to kill civilians — including Christians and Jews — unless they are actively attacking Muslims.” Wright believes that the terrorist organization faces the greatest challenge in its history.

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