David Ignatius: Assessing Bin Laden's Legacy

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articl ... 13992.html

WASHINGTON - In the year since Osama bin Laden's death, it has been a comforting thought for Westerners to say that he failed. And that's certainly true in terms of al-Qaeda, whose scorched-earth jihad tactics alienated Muslims along with everyone else. But in terms of bin Laden's broader goal of moving the Islamic world away from Western influence, he has done better than we might like to think.
Egypt is a case in point: This has been a year of mostly nonviolent democratic revolution. But it has brought to power some Salafist and Muslim Brotherhood groups that share common theological roots with bin Laden. And the al-Qaeda goal of driving the "apostate" pro-American President Hosni Mubarak from power has been achieved.
...
What we're seeing now in Egypt is something that might be called electoral bin Ladenism. Take the group al-Gamaa al-Islamiya, which under its spiritual leader, Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, made the first unsuccessful attempt to destroy the World Trade Center in 1993. Today, the organization has formed a Salafist political party with the benign name Building and Development Party. This organization, which like al-Qaeda traces its roots to the Islamist theorist Sayyid Qutb, has 13 seats in the new Egyptian parliament. ... [discussion of syria and yemen, cut off for length limit-GS] So, a year on, it's a time to think about bin Laden's failures, but also about the ways his fellow Islamists have morphed toward a political movement more successful than even bin Laden could have dreamed.

... So, a year on, it's a time to think about bin Laden's failures, but also about the ways his fellow Islamists have morphed toward a political movement more successful than even bin Laden could have dreamed.

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To the extent they're willing to work within the political system, much better for everyone involved. (Though of course I hope they lose.)

... So, a year on, it's a time to think about bin Laden's failures, but also about the ways his fellow Islamists have morphed toward a political movement more successful than even bin Laden could have dreamed.

To the extent they're willing to work within the political system, much better for everyone involved. (Though of course I hope they lose.)

To the extent they still exist, it is much worse for everyone concerned. As if the means mattered more than the ends.

... So, a year on, it's a time to think about bin Laden's failures, but also about the ways his fellow Islamists have morphed toward a political movement more successful than even bin Laden could have dreamed.

To the extent they're willing to work within the political system, much better for everyone involved. (Though of course I hope they lose.)

To the extent they still exist, it is much worse for everyone concerned. As if the means mattered more than the ends.

Until someone (anyone) is willing to glass Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, they will continue to exist. The question, then, is how to engage them. (Or the alternative outlined in the first clause...)

well, either that, or set up some mubarak over them.

... So, a year on, it's a time to think about bin Laden's failures, but also about the ways his fellow Islamists have morphed toward a political movement more successful than even bin Laden could have dreamed.

To the extent they're willing to work within the political system, much better for everyone involved. (Though of course I hope they lose.)

To the extent they still exist, it is much worse for everyone concerned. As if the means mattered more than the ends.

Until someone (anyone) is willing to glass Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, they will continue to exist. The question, then, is how to engage them. (Or the alternative outlined in the first clause...)

I'm fine with the first clause. Can I push the button? Please?

... So, a year on, it's a time to think about bin Laden's failures, but also about the ways his fellow Islamists have morphed toward a political movement more successful than even bin Laden could have dreamed.

To the extent they're willing to work within the political system, much better for everyone involved. (Though of course I hope they lose.)

To the extent they still exist, it is much worse for everyone concerned. As if the means mattered more than the ends.

Until someone (anyone) is willing to glass Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, they will continue to exist. The question, then, is how to engage them. (Or the alternative outlined in the first clause...)

I'm fine with the first clause. Can I push the button? Please?

Ditto. Indeed, one could run a lottery for the right to push the button. And add the TV rights.