Osama bin Laden, left, with his top lieutenant Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahiri, in one of al-Qaida's own propaganda videos. Photograph: APFrom The Guardian:
Eight years after the attack on New York, intelligence reports from captured western recruits suggest the terror network is weakening.
The meeting was tense. The six recruits, from immigrant communities in France and Belgium, had decided to confront their al-Qaida handler. Before leaving their homes, they had watched al-Qaida videos on the internet and seen massed battalions of mujahideen training on assault courses, exciting ambushes and inspiring speeches by Osama bin Laden.
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My Comment: Islamic fanaticism has been with us for centuries. The Guardian misses the big picture .... Al Qaeda may be weak, but the extremism that drives it is still there .... and it is as strong as ever.
Update: Al-Qaeda Is (Almost) Finished -- Washington Independent