there's something about this story that scares me more than tales of thwarted plots to bring liquid explosives on airplanes. Something about the unification of parties who have a beef against "the west":

It says this - an Algerian terrorist network, known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat has in recent years expanded its focus from attempts at influencing the happenings at home, to becoming an international group with cells across Europe. In its beginnings, Bin Laden deemed them a bit too radical for his tastes, and did not condone their practices (which included killing Muslim civilians who did not adhere to the strictest of rules of Islam).

the post-9/11 world, however, forced these groups together again.

You know, the war on terror? It's creating alliances. it's giving strength to groups that perhaps otherwise would have no influence, or even desires, outside their home countries (where they were failing, even, and dwindling in numbers and influence). it's causing groups to become MORE radical - to condone groups and acts which they previously deemed "too extreme" or "counterproductive."

France is worried. They're worried that they'll be a central target since they have a presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, and b/c of their policy that disallows Muslim schoolgirls from wearing head coverings in public schools.

[Why? When I finish my Professional Responsibility reading, I'll have to do some research on that. why does such a policy exist? I know in my kids' school, the children (boys and girls) are not allowed to wear head coverings unless they are for religious purposes. ]

So now, instead of fighting Al Qaida, or hunting down Bin Laden - we're finding ourselves increasingly in an us v. them mentality.

That scares me.

posted by Zuska @ 12:07 PM

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