Al Qaeda’s terror style spreading

Analysts see a form of franchising at work around globe

By Douglas Farah and Peter Finn
THE WASHINGTON POST

Nov. 21 — Leaders of the al Qaeda terrorist network have franchised their organization’s brand of synchronized, devastating violence to homegrown terrorist groups across the world, posing a formidable new challenge to counterterrorism forces, according to intelligence analysts and experts in the United States, Europe and the Arab world.

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Herein lies the futility in Mr. Bush's reckless little war in Iraq. And while we are dogged down there, al Qaeda style terrorism is popping up elsewhere. Iraq was a terrible strategic move and short-sighted mistake on the part of Mr. Bush and company. Even his own CIA told him that it was naive to think that attempting to bring democracy to Iraq would support our efforts to fight terrorism. In fact, it appears exactly the opposite is happening. Unfortunately, we and the rest of the world will be paying an awful price for Mr. Bush's error in judgement for years to come.