August 29, 2004 | Op-ed
Analysis: The Attack in Kabul, a Message to New York
Per my analysis of the coverage of al Jazeera and the immediate reactions in the chat rooms (as of noon, Sunday), the attack against the antiterrorism center in Kabul aims mainly at sending a message to the US Administration few hours before the kick off of the Republican National Convention in New York.
This attack, most likely an al Qaida-Taliban work centered on a highly symbolic target, a center for training against Terrorist activities, in the country which was liberated from a Terror regime.
In the mind of al Qaida and its allies, as stated in one of the chat rooms today, striking the core of the enemy is crucial.
Politically, as circulated unofficially, (but possibly in the open later), the strike in Kabul is also aimed at the New York RNC. “How can you say you are winning the war on Terror, when your antiterrorist centers are being blown up,” said the al Qaida cadres in the chat rooms, more than one time in the past. This speech was aimed at the US President and his supporters who are getting ready for the Convention.
Al Jazeera, strangely the first to tape and air the footage of the explosions, went on long analysis and descriptions of the bombing, presenting it as a major victory against the US led campaign and the Karzai Government.
The camera showed footage taken by someone walking fast, and sometimes running while filming. The Qatar-based TV station said its corespondent was beaten but didn't provide explanation.
The original design, it seems, was to draw the attention to this explosion on Sunday, as the preparations for the RNC are taking place. The plan is easy to understand. With the al Jazeera footage repeated all day long, the Western media are expected to follow through, including the American ones. By Sunday night and early Monday, the set back in Kabul will be in the main news, casting a shadow on the “victory speeches” in Manhattan.
While this is only speculations, one can and should be expecting the Jihadist mind to plan for more attacks both overseas and in the US during the Convention. It is logical, even though this may have been the only one. The main lesson here is that al Qaida and its allies are playing a complex game using all what they can from bombings, assassinations to airing footage's. The objective remains one: Undermine US will to pursue that war.