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Does al-Qaida even really exist?

Sunday, October 21 at 12:00 PM

This Speakout has not been edited.

By Richard L. Stover

As incredible as it may seem, I can make the case that there is no al qaeda, just a series of misinformation, assumptions, suppositions and human susceptibility to believe in conspiracies.

According to the Wikipedia: Regarding the origin of the al Qaeda, Robin Cook, the late British member of the late British member of Parliament and former foreign secretary, wrote in 2005 that “Al-Qaida, literally ‘the database’, was originally the name of a computer file listing the thousands of mujahideen who were recruited and trained with help from the CIA to defeat the Soviets.” Dr. Sa’ad Al-Fagih, a surgeon at Peshawar (where the Mujahideen recruiting happened) further explained that the computer database (al-Qaeda) was necessary to fix problems associated with a lack of documentation about the fighters who were recruited. Many other sources agree with this origin of the phrase. The origins of this group (at a later time given the name ‘al-Qaeda’ by the United States Justice Department) can be traced to a few weeks after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, when a cadre of non-Afghani, Arab Muslim fighters joined the largely United States and Pakistan-funded Afghan mujahideen anti-Soviet resistance movement (a guerrilla war against Soviet occupation forces and the Soviet-backed Afghan government). Osama bin Laden, a member of a prominent Saudi Arabian business family, led an informal grouping which became a leading fund raiser and recruitment agency for the Afghan cause in Muslim countries.

Two possibilities here: Bin Laden either hired the mujahdin to do his work after the Afghanistan war and used the same list, or the connection was just convenient or happenstance.
Once the connection was made, and Bin Laden was pegged as the the terrorist behind all the attacks against us, the media went along and al qaeda and Bin Laden have been joined at the hip ever since.

On the recreation of 9/11 last week, “I heard” the commentator say it was the work of terrorists an hour after it happened. Terrorist equated with Bin Laden, and the dubious connection was made.

As for al qaeda (the list) in Iraq, logistics don’t jibe. It’s true that outsiders could easily sneak over the borders, but what would they do when they got there. Where would they live? who would they know? In that climate of horror and indecisiveness, strangers would probably be shot on sight.

Another thing: How do they tell the difference between al qaeda, Sunni or Shia by sight? They all essentially look alike. I’m sure they don’t carry religious Ids with them, and they’re not about to admit it when arrested. What it all comes down to is: Sunnis and Shi’a families are identified by where they live, and where possible radical groups stay.

I’ve followed the AP reports from the beginning, and all they talked about were the Shi’a and Sunni insurgent feud. Of course there were claims by those who claimed to be al qaeda, but it was all talk, not one report of al qaeda activity. Recently we hear that the al qaeda have miraculously emerged as active players, but again, the logistics don’t jibe. People just don’t conveniently appear out of nowhere.

Richard L. Stover is a resident of Grand Junction.

READER COMMENTS

Wow ! After reading Mr. Broadenaux letter and Mr. Stover's letter.I was thinking The Rocky Mountain News could rewrite the column and combine both letters and call it,

Sometimes you feel like a nut,Sometimes you don't! Most of the time these two are!

Posted by Can I get an AMEN! on October 24, 2007 01:23 PM

Interesting summation.
It would certainly make sense because all of the other information we get out of this administration is usually found out to be 98% false.

Posted by J W on October 24, 2007 09:20 AM

Kudos! Kudos! Kudos! to Mr. Richard L. Stover and to Rocky Mountain News for your wisdom , insight and exercise of free speech
for a welcoming sea of change. Earlier today
I offered the Denver Post an option to join in
with your newspaper to bring me to Denver, CO to share profoundly a very different conclusion of 9/11/01 . I tried to offer my data
to that 1,100 pages of toilet tissue ("9/11 Commission Report), what a blanking joke.
If you act quickly you might be able to save some money but buying a 7 days advance bus ticket. I'm willing to submitat some point
more than 50K pages of dreams data records
recalled recordings from 2/99 to 10/07 that will support Mr. Stover's assertion that al Qaida is more hype than reality. I can testify
to the fact that only the colors of "conspiracy blue" (Alienware computers) and white dominate dreams data relating to 9/11/01 some 11 months precognition (10/08/00). No whrere in more than 50,000 pages of data can a silver and green (KSA flag colors) link or tie could be found by me during my intial recalled and recordings of dreams from 2/99 to 10/07. I look forward to meeting with Mr. Stover and I would like to give an open to the public forum if enough sponsors (businesses) in Denver sign-up to fund such
a public meeting in a hotel or other venue. For
more than 7 years now I've been economically deprivated here in south Louisiana, sitting on this version of "Truth" and not anyone has come here seeking my story or to review the data. It just hasn"t happened. Maybe the tide is finally turning and some minds, some brains in Colorado,
will finally say maybe we should hear what this guy has to say. We can always say its great fiction, fantansy or "heaven's forbid" it might even contain some "kernals of knowledge" or highly theorectical but bits and pieces of facts. Ladies and Gentlemen of this
publication , Denver, CO, the state of CO and the whole nation pleasse join me in celebrating Sigmund Freud's "Interpretations
of Dreams" publication anniversary on next month in November on the 4th ??? . Thank you for allowing me to "place a proverbial bug
in your ears" and have a very great day and very prosperous future. Good Luck!!!!!!!!

Posted by Donald Ray Broadenaux on October 23, 2007 02:50 PM

First thing I thought was about the Moon landings being 'staged', and not really happening.

Posted by Jim in Erie on October 23, 2007 06:35 AM

Thanks Hank. I was beginning to think the tinfoil hats were leaking. You saved me.

Posted by momma y on October 22, 2007 02:06 AM

This is the trouble with the dominant media today. Unfortunately, this is how a lot of people are still getting their information. It is amazing Stover can see a conspiracy against him by some, yet not question AP.

Posted by Gene on October 21, 2007 05:02 PM

So let me get this straight you get your information based off of Wikipedia and AP reports. If I recall many of the things found on WIKIPEDIA are untrue and false (which is why the site can not be used as a source of information in any respectable acadimic institutions). The AP has also been caught in many scandels where their reports have filed false information or made up stories. Yes, I can see why you are so confused about the issues, YOU qualify as one of the TRUE SHEEP of SOCIETy, the one's politicians love. You do not have the brains to truely do the correct type of research, instead by into any spoon feed information given. Grow up and do some true research.

Posted by Scott on October 21, 2007 04:08 PM

BELIEVE WHAT YOU WANT. FEEL FREE TO JOIN THE 40% OF AMERICA CLUB WHO BELIEVE...

* 9/11 WAS AN INSIDE JOBS

* THE MOON-LANDING NEVER HAPPENED; IT WAS STAGED IN A HOLLYWOOD STUDIO

* ALIENS FROM OUTER SPACE ROUTINELY VIST EARTH

* JFK's ASSASSINATION WAS AN INSIDE JOB

* SASQUATCH CAN BE FOUND ROAMING SAN FRANCISCO's GOLDEN GATE PARK

* ELVIS CAN BE SPOTTED IN MEMPHIS ON ANY FRIDAY NIGHT

* MAN-MADE GLOBAL WARMING IS REAL
---

How silly we can all be. Everyone knows that Elvis lives in a Mississippi condo and doesn't even like Tennessee.

Posted by Hank on October 21, 2007 01:42 PM