The Propaganda War between Al Qaeda and Hezbollah

By Brigitte L. Nacos

"We have a ringside seat not only to radical Islam's war on us, but to what's really emerging as a civil war between radical Sunni Islam and radical Shia Islam." What Daniel Benjamin told Matthew Stannard of the San Francisco Chronicle may apply in terms of violent clashes to what is unfolding in Iraq but not--at least not for now--to the rivalry between the Sunni terrorist organization and their Shiite counterpart Hezbollah. However, as I told Mr. Stannard, we may witness the beginning of a propaganda war between Al Qaeda and Hezbollah from which each side wants to emerge as the predominant challenger of what both call the "Crusader-Zionist" threat. One wonders whether the timing of the reported terrorist plot against transatlantic airliners had anything to do with this rivalry.

The probably most plausible explanation for the timing of a reportedly imminent most lethal terrorist attack so far points to the arrest of some of the alleged plotters in Pakistan and the subsequent decision to expedite the ten-part suicide mission that was in the pipeline. This could have been decided in order to prevent the arrest of co-conspirators in the United Kingdom.

But assuming that Al Qaeda had its hands in the plot, the decision to strike at this time may have been influenced by Hezbollah's publicity bonanza surround the organization's ability to fight the Israeli Defense Forces longer than expected. There is no doubt that spectacular terrorism of the kind allegedly soon to be carried out against transatlantic airliners would have swept the Israel-Hezbollah conflict off the television screens and the front pages. As it happened, even the mere revelation of the plot overshadowed the news from Israel and Lebanon and--continues to do so.

This must be a satisfying turnaround from the perspective of Al Qaeda's leaders who cannot openly compete with Hezbollah in the rhetorical struggle for the hearts and minds of Arabs and Muslims. Whereas Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri are forced to remain in their hideouts and thus left to communicate via audio- and videotaped messages, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been all over Arab and Western television, radio, and print media as the face and voice of those angered by American, British, and Israeli policies.The secret to his media blitz was, of course, Hezbollah's own satellite network Al Manar. As the Washington Post reports, the global TV network continued to air its program even after its headquarters had been bombed by operating from secret back-up facilities.

It is far from clear whether bin Laden and Al Qaeda or Hezbollah and Nasrallah will win the propaganda war they are engaged in. Whereas Nasrallah and his organization won sympathies among both Shiites and Sunnis for fighting the Israeli Defense Forces and hitting Israeli territory with waves of rockets, the damage inflicted on the whole of Lebanon by the IDF could come to haunt Nasrallah and Hezbollah, if they are ultimately blamed for provoking Israel's fierce response. In the meantime, both sides can be expected to do and say whatever assures them publicity in this rhetorical battle.

Comments

[BrigitteNacos]

There is no justification at all for such claims as put forth by Senator Lieberman and his Republican friends. We must not forget that the most lethal terrorist attacks against America were committed on the watch of Republican presidents. I, for one, would never argue that Republicans in the White House and the congressional majority encourage more terrorism-- this would be just as non-sensical as charging that Democrats other than Lieberman and like-minded partisans encourage this sort of political violence. We need to keep partisanship and electoral considerations out of this.

[jamesn]

What do you think of the suggestion that LaMont's victory in the Connecticut primary for Senate will somehow embolden Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups? Do u think this is just political posturing or do you think these comments have any merit?