“An Epochal Disaster For Al Qaeda”

Scott Shane for the NYTimes:

For many specialists on terrorism and the Middle East, though not all, the past few weeks have the makings of an epochal disaster for Al Qaeda, making the jihadists look like ineffectual bystanders to history while offering young Muslims an appealing alternative to terrorism

But Al Qaeda has always been a fringe movement in the Arab world and never presented a real alternative to power holders. The only reason why America cares about that terrorist outfit is because of its suicide tactic, which projects an illusion of power that is much larger than its actual strength and influence. In terms of soft power and political influence, Al Qaeda has always been a loser.