Iraq War: A reminder how the Iraq War played into the jihadists' hopes

This paper from Chatham House reports on remarks by Paul Wilkinson, Professor of International Relations and Chairman of the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, University of St Andrews, in an appearance of 09/28/05: The links between the War on Terrorism and the War in Iraq.

Wilkinson talks about how Al Qaeda and other jihadist groups make use of the Iraq War in their propaganda. The report quotes him in the third person:

Al Qaeda was exploiting the situation in Iraq as it exploits the situation in other areas where conflict is affecting Muslims, portraying the situation as an extension of jihad on a global scale. He pointed out that this portrayal is unsurprising: the insurgency in Iraq is seen as championing the rights of Muslims against those launching an imperialistic attack on Muslims.

Wilkinson elaborates on the point:

Professor Wilkinson reminded the audience that Saddam was never in league with Osama Bin Laden. Indeed on the contrary, Osama Bin Laden was known to teach his followers to hate Saddam Hussein on the basis that the Iraqi president was a secular leader who traded arms. Such a leader could have no credibility in the fundamentalist ideologies of the followers of Bin Laden. There is no evidence of Saddam’s involvement in the 9/11 attacks despite the best efforts of the Pentagon. Professor Wilkinson expressed surprise at the crude nature of the speculations from the Pentagon which were recycled by the government and eventually appeared in the newspapers. There is no evidence of collusion between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda. Years on from their orchestration of the 9/11 attacks, Al-Qaeda remains a major threat although fundamentally changed in nature. Although it has become a looser network, Al Qaeda is still capable of inspiring followers as the London bombings demonstrate. (my emphasis)

And he emphasizes the strategic consequences of Bush's choice to invade Iraq.

The report continues:

Professor Wilkinson reminded the audience that the removal of Saddam Hussein from power and the pursuit of the war on terrorism remain quite separate issues. Professor Wilkinson reflected that the war in Iraq represents a diversion of effort from the main business of dismantling Al-Qaeda. In his opinion, the invasion of Iraq represents a strategic disaster and is counterproductive to efforts in this direction. According to Professor Wilkinson, the invasion represents a gift in terms of propaganda for Al-Qaeda, acting both as a recruiting sergeant and as a fundraiser in the Gulf and providing a host of targets, military and otherwise. The invasion has exposed an area of instability with porous borders which remain outside the effective control of the authorities. Al-Qaeda are able to take advantage of the situation, using their influence to pump out propaganda to the wider Muslim diaspora, influencing potential recruits with footage of the conflict. Professor Wilkinson suggested that the audience might refer to Peter Taylor’s three part documentary ‘The New Al-Qaeda’ (screened on BBC 2) for a range of rich illustrative material used by Al-Qaeda to boost their recruitment. (my emphasis)

"Wars are easy to get into, but hard as hell to get out of." - George McGovern and Jim McGovern 06/06/05

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