Al-Qaeda Hates Arabs

Al-Qaeda lieutenant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has struck again at the country that once imprisoned him, according to Jordanian and American officials. The bombings at tourist hotels in Amman today killed mainly Arabs - once again, al-Qaeda has it in for those whom they claim to protect. Apologists for al-Qaeda would argue that by hitting American-owned hotels frequented by businessmen and tourists (who are still mostly Arabs) is as close as they can get to hitting America and Israel, their alleged enemies. That might be believable from a local gang of hooligans, but is al-Qaeda really so afraid of "Crusader" security forces that they can't operate in the West? Jordan, after all, has a very good track record of stopping terrorists; this isn't like blowing up yet another street in Baghdad. So the terrorists, al-Qaeda or otherwise, really want to attack Jordan. Why? Because Jordan is a Western ally. Because Jordan is at peace with all its neighbors (most of whom al-Qaeda is at war with). Because Jordan is showing that a non-oil economy can flourish by allowing for free trade with the West. Because Jordan allows women and Palestinian refugees to participate in public life. If al-Qaeda were really interested in using violence to forward the Palestinian cause or to annihilate the West, they would attack Israeli and Western military and civilian targets. Instead, they never touch Israel, and they're already sorry they touched America, and they're now fighting a war of attrition, hoping that we will give up and let them press their unsavory goals forward with yet more violence against fellow Arabs. It's no secret among those who study such things that the real goal of al-Qaeda is to displace the Saudi and other Arab governments - neither Arabs nor Westerners should believe the propaganda that they disseminate to disguise that goal.