Al-Qaeda, Israel, and the United States on Killing Innocent People

The rationale is exactly the same, unsurprisingly. If you were to kill someone you would obviously blame your actions on either ignorance of the circumstance or situation, or on someone else's actions. It seems al-Qaeda is just taking the approach that the U.S. and Israel have used for decades: the old "collateral damage" argument and the "we didn't intend to kill all those innocent people" argument.

Israel has this tactic down to an art form. During the Israel-Lebanon War in 2006 Israeli spokespersons continually denied that they were targeting civilians, that it was Hezbollah who was making them kill civilians because they would fire rockets from civilian areas. Israel then proceeded to drop thousands of cluster bombs after the ceasefire leading to more deaths of innocent Lebanese civilians. The United States has similarly made use of this logic, while the media and elites have swallowed this notion down so fully that they cannot fathom their country can do something wrong intentionally. The bombings of innocent Afghani villagers is eradicated from memory with a simple U.S. Government press release apologizing for their mistake. A mistake that should land those commanders and officials in charge in jail for the rest of their lives, but who receive no punishment whatsoever for the innocent lives they have taken.

Al-Qaeda is no different based upon the comments of their no. 2 man Ayman al-Zawahiri. They don't kill innocent people - even though he admitted to 9-11. I guess all those people working in the Towers that infamous morning didn't receive the memo that two jetliners were scheduled for arrival there that morning. Zawahiri uses the same rationale to justify his group's actions as the U.S. and Israel: collateral damage ("necessity" as he calls it) or unintentional consequences of his peoples' actions.

What all of this implies is that cold blooded killers, no matter their ethnicity or religions or upbringings, think the same way. All three entities have societal norms or laws that they feel they must make their actions compatible with: democracy/freedom or Islamic laws pertaining to warfare. In both cases killing innocents is a despicable crime, but all three entities find justifications for sidestepping responsibility. The justifications are noted above.



http://www.miamiherald.com/889/story/480241.html

By PAUL SCHEMM

Al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri, rejecting criticism of attacks by the terror network's followers that have killed thousands, maintained that it does not kill innocent people.

His comment came during a 90-minute audio response Wedneday that was billed as the first installment of answers to the more than 900 questions submitted on extremist Internet sites by al-Qaida supporters, critics and journalists in December.

"We haven't killed the innocents, not in Baghdad, nor in Morocco, nor in Algeria, nor anywhere else," al-Zawahri said, according to a 46-page English transcript that accompanied the audio message posted on Web sites linked to al-Qaida.

The answer was in response to the question: "Excuse me, Mr. Zawahri, but who is it who is killing with Your Excellency's blessing the innocents in Baghdad, Morocco and Algeria?"

Al-Qaida has claimed responsibility for the Sept. 11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York and Washington in 2001, while its affiliates in Iraq, Afghanistan and Algeria regularly set off bombs in crowded urban areas that have taken thousands of lives.

"If there is any innocent who was killed in the mujahedeen's operations, then it was either an unintentional error or out of necessity," al-Zawahri said.

He went on to accuse al-Qaida's opponents of being the ones who kill innocent people. He also charged that "the enemy intentionally takes up positions in the midst of the Muslims for them to be human shields for him."

A banner bearing the logo of al-Qaida's media arm, al-Sahab, appeared earlier in the day on Web sites linked to the network to announce that al-Zawahri's first round of answers.

Al-Zawahri, the chief deputy to Osama bin Laden, said in the audio that he had chosen approximately 100 questions to answer.

Al-Sahab announced in December that al-Zawahri would take questions from the public posted on Islamic militant Web sites and would respond "as soon as possible."

Queries were submitted on the main Islamist Web site until the cutoff date of Jan. 16. After the deadline, the questions disappeared from the site.

Self-proclaimed al-Qaida supporters appeared to be as much in the dark about the terror network's operations and intentions as Western analysts and intelligence agencies.

The questioners appeared uncertain whether al-Qaida's central leadership directly controls the multiple, small militant groups around the Middle East that work in its name, or whether those groups operate on their own.

Some asked if al-Qaida had a long-term strategy, while others wanted advice about conducting Islamic holy war.