Op-Ed: Why Does Al Qaeda Support John McCain? A Closer Look

As reported recently, Al Qaeda supporters have chosen John McCain as the best man to become president, continue 'Bush's failed policies' and wear America down to ultimate defeat. But is this an honest assessment? Or political calculation by AQ?

As reported on earlier by Chris V. (and which is now the DJ header), Al Qaeda has announced their choice of John McCain as their official candidate for US president, their rationalizations and even a recommendation of an attack on US soil to spur the American people to vote for McCain. Let us assume for the moment, since this is an Islamist website used by many of the mujaheddin of Al Qaeda, that this statement also has Al Qaeda's approval given its ramifications. On its face, it all seems logical. The pieces seem to fit. But you must remember one thing: Al Qaeda is nothing if not politically savvy, as they proved to devastating effect in Spain. So how do you understand exactly what Al Qaeda is trying to accomplish with their McCain endorsement? Let's look at it from political and historical perspectives, as an intelligence analyst might. The biggest question that occurs to me is this: is Al Qaeda using reverse psychology in order to sink McCain, after their last attempt to influence the presidential elections in 2004 failed? Look at how their statement is phrased, and how the following can be interpreted from it: 1. Bush's failed policies. 2. Al Qaeda supports McCain. 3. America exhausting herself militarily and economically in their futile pursuit of Al Qaeda. 4. More years of endless war for a people that have greatly tired of it. 5. Al Qaeda will attack America for purely political reasons you can blame on the GOP. 1. This is practically a Democrat talking point. And yes, many of Bush's policies have been failures. Even Republicans admit that. But he and his field commanders' waging of war against Al Qaeda in Iraq, bloody as it has been, has left Al Qaeda with the sting of defeat and denied them an Iraqi sanctuary. Since McCain might even be tougher militarily on Al Qaeda than Bush is and was (particularly should another attack on American soil occur), Al Qaeda has a lot more to lose from McCain as president than from Obama, who might be more open to negotiations in order to end the violence or withdraw troops from the field. The key words here are 'Bush's failed policies.' If they want McCain to be president, why do they even bring this up? They must know the political relevance of that phrase in the US. 2. Al Qaeda gets to stick its own stink on McCain by endorsing him. They know how detested Al Qaeda is in America. 3. After seven years of war with Islamist extremists and the recent economic turmoil, Al Qaeda's promise of McCain wearing down the country economically and militarily in hopeless pursuit of them can only bring up dark visions of the future. Exactly their point, IMHO. 4. McCain means more years of endless war. Just what the American electorate wants. I'm surprised they didn't reference McCain's '100-year' promise. 5. The implication here is that Al Qaeda wouldn't otherwise plan to attack America were it not for the Republican candidate John McCain. Yeah, right. You can all make up your own minds and interpret the Al Qaeda declaration as the pieces fit to you, but this humble DJ believes this is a very sly plan to actually swing the election Obama's way. Why? They have suffered great defeats and relentless pursuit since 9/11. They cannot even wander out under open skies without fear of a Predator strike. Not only that, political developments in Pakistan, like the legal banning of the Taliban and Pakistani Army attacks on militant strongholds, are also hacking away at their sanctuaries and their power. And they have been driven from Iraq in humiliating defeat after being welcomed as brothers by the Sunni insurgency, which has since turned on them and their bloodthirsty ways. It's been a very rough time for Al Qaeda. Ask yourself: why would they endorse a candidate who would only bring more Hell down on their heads as they struggle even to survive? But Obama might mean an end to that for them, or so they think. This seems to contradict Obama's own stated positions on Al Qaeda, which even included going into Pakistan after them if necessary. But they may also be thinking that Obama has expressed a willingness to sit down and talk to America's enemies without precondition, something John McCain would never do. Could those enemies eventually include Al Qaeda? It just might. Why do I say that? Look at this past quote from Obama himself:

"We've got to get the job done there and that requires us to have enough troops so that we're not just air-raiding villages and killing civilians, which is causing enormous pressure over there."

Air-raiding villages and killing civilians. Could Obama and Al Qaeda be in more agreement on this particular charge against American and NATO forces in Afghanistan? And if Obama does believe we're failing in Afghanistan because of our own wanton slaughter as he sees it, don't you think Al Qaeda's picked up on that? Maybe sees it as a political weakness on Obama's part? Maybe even his Achilles Heel? If so, would they not ramp up violence there to press the matter? Squeeze President Obama? So which candidate is Al Qaeda's best bet to allow their organization to regain its dominance, sanctuary, terrorist camps and staging grounds in Afghanistan and elsewhere? Doesn't seem like it would be McCain, all things considered. Hence the endorsement, I believe. The Brookings Institute and the American Thinker also have some great analyses of Al Qaeda's endeavors into politics. You, of course, can all make up your own minds. I myself can't help but question Al Qaeda's pick of McCain as best choice for President. It's not like McCain would ever act in their interests. It is also unlikely Al Qaeda would ever act in his. So what IS the truth? Does Al Qaeda really want McCain? Or are they just saying that to backhand him and swing votes the other way? Only they know for sure, it would seem. All we can do is guess, given what information's available.