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American Morning
Militants Rallying Cry
Aired August 20, 2003 - 08:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: There has been no claim of responsibility for the bombing in Baghdad, but there's plenty of speculation about whether Al Qaeda was involved. Terrorism expert Jessica Stern says the Iraq war has become a rallying cry for Al Qaeda and other militant groups. She's also the author of "Terror in the Name of God." She joins us this morning. Thanks for joining us.
JESSICA STERN, "TERROR IN THE NAME OF GOD": Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Is your guess that this is Al Qaeda is? Is it clear to you?
STERN: Not at all clear. There are a number of groups that have gone in to Iraq, because it is a very, well, exciting moment for Islam militants today. Any number of them could actually be involved, perhaps, in concert. It's not clear.
O'BRIEN: Some people have said because of the lack of progress in rebuilding Iraq, the basic services, the floodgates essentially had been opened. Do you think that's true?
STERN: Yes, I do. Terrorists always require support in the broader population, and Islam's movement was beginning to grow in Iraq, even before the war and the occupation, but this perceived ineptitude of the occupation is increasing that. So there is this support growing as a result of frustration.
O'BRIEN: At the same time, when you attack the U.N., which is providing humanitarian aid, don't you potentially work against any kind of support that you have from the population in Iraq, the people who live there?
STERN: Well, Al Qaeda has always opposed the U.N. Al Qaeda has made it very clear that it sees the United Nations as an instrument of U.S. hegemony, as one of the weapons in America's arsenal to dominate the world. So it certainly wouldn't be surprising that Al Qaeda would attack the U.N.
O'BRIEN: At the same time, when you attack what you've seen in the past days and weeks soft targets, where you disrupt the water, you disrupt the oil, you disrupt the basic services for the Iraqi people, doesn't that go a long way in eventually turning the people against the attackers?
STERN: It may turn the people against the attackers, and it probably -- it will turn some people against the attackers, but it may also bring some others on to the side of the attackers. Terrorists often try to create chaos, to turn the population against the government, in this case an occupying force.
O'BRIEN: In the wake of the blackout in New York City, and Detroit and Cleveland, Al Qaeda's Abu Hauf Brigade is claiming responsibility. It's pretty clear by most experts they did not have anything to do with the blackout. Why would they go ahead and claim responsibility? To seem more powerful than they are? Are they desperate to have a hand in something that's happened here in the U.S.? Explain that to me.
STERN: Well, terrorism is really psychological warfare, and it's psychological warfare against a target population, but also, the aim is to bring in supporters.
And Bin Laden himself said that the people follow the strong horse. So it's really no surprise that Al Qaeda and related groups often take credit for attacks that -- or incidents, in this case, that really they have nothing to do with.
O'BRIEN: We don't have a ton of time, but you have an op-ed in "The New York Times" today. You end by saying the first step has to make sure that ordinary Iraqis have the basic services, that they feel the assistance of America is more appealing than Al Qaeda, and yet we're in this vicious cycle, to some degree. The attacks disrupt the progress toward getting the ordinary services, which when they start getting rebuilt are attacked again. Is this sort of an unending cycle?
STERN: I think there will be difficulty ahead.
O'BRIEN: All Jessica Stern, nice to have you. Thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate your insight.
STERN: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 20, 2003 - 08:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: There has been no claim of responsibility for the bombing in Baghdad, but there's plenty of speculation about whether Al Qaeda was involved. Terrorism expert Jessica Stern says the Iraq war has become a rallying cry for Al Qaeda and other militant groups. She's also the author of "Terror in the Name of God." She joins us this morning. Thanks for joining us.
JESSICA STERN, "TERROR IN THE NAME OF GOD": Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Is your guess that this is Al Qaeda is? Is it clear to you?
STERN: Not at all clear. There are a number of groups that have gone in to Iraq, because it is a very, well, exciting moment for Islam militants today. Any number of them could actually be involved, perhaps, in concert. It's not clear.
O'BRIEN: Some people have said because of the lack of progress in rebuilding Iraq, the basic services, the floodgates essentially had been opened. Do you think that's true?
STERN: Yes, I do. Terrorists always require support in the broader population, and Islam's movement was beginning to grow in Iraq, even before the war and the occupation, but this perceived ineptitude of the occupation is increasing that. So there is this support growing as a result of frustration.
O'BRIEN: At the same time, when you attack the U.N., which is providing humanitarian aid, don't you potentially work against any kind of support that you have from the population in Iraq, the people who live there?
STERN: Well, Al Qaeda has always opposed the U.N. Al Qaeda has made it very clear that it sees the United Nations as an instrument of U.S. hegemony, as one of the weapons in America's arsenal to dominate the world. So it certainly wouldn't be surprising that Al Qaeda would attack the U.N.
O'BRIEN: At the same time, when you attack what you've seen in the past days and weeks soft targets, where you disrupt the water, you disrupt the oil, you disrupt the basic services for the Iraqi people, doesn't that go a long way in eventually turning the people against the attackers?
STERN: It may turn the people against the attackers, and it probably -- it will turn some people against the attackers, but it may also bring some others on to the side of the attackers. Terrorists often try to create chaos, to turn the population against the government, in this case an occupying force.
O'BRIEN: In the wake of the blackout in New York City, and Detroit and Cleveland, Al Qaeda's Abu Hauf Brigade is claiming responsibility. It's pretty clear by most experts they did not have anything to do with the blackout. Why would they go ahead and claim responsibility? To seem more powerful than they are? Are they desperate to have a hand in something that's happened here in the U.S.? Explain that to me.
STERN: Well, terrorism is really psychological warfare, and it's psychological warfare against a target population, but also, the aim is to bring in supporters.
And Bin Laden himself said that the people follow the strong horse. So it's really no surprise that Al Qaeda and related groups often take credit for attacks that -- or incidents, in this case, that really they have nothing to do with.
O'BRIEN: We don't have a ton of time, but you have an op-ed in "The New York Times" today. You end by saying the first step has to make sure that ordinary Iraqis have the basic services, that they feel the assistance of America is more appealing than Al Qaeda, and yet we're in this vicious cycle, to some degree. The attacks disrupt the progress toward getting the ordinary services, which when they start getting rebuilt are attacked again. Is this sort of an unending cycle?
STERN: I think there will be difficulty ahead.
O'BRIEN: All Jessica Stern, nice to have you. Thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate your insight.
STERN: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
