Al Qaeda abandons beheadings as they're bad PR

“Recording such acts, and spreading them among the people in the name of religion and jihad, we see as a big mistake. It is not acceptable, no matter the justification”. Referring to the now dead former leader of Al-Qaeda and juggernaut of global Jihad, Osama Bin Laden, al-Ansii continued: “Therefore, I assert that whoever does such actions [beheadings], he has violated the command of Sheikh Osama”.

I mean I guess that's good news right? I would much rather be shot than have my head chopped off.

The Times refers to a previous communication by Al-Qaeda that clarifies the position. It read “we are in a media battle in a race for the hearts and minds of our Umma [Islamic People]... We can kill the captives by bullet”.

So still a bunch of bastards.

It's pretty bizarre thinking about Al Qaeda as being the cuddlier group of bloodthirsty murderers. It certainly doesn't actually change my opinion of them. I wonder if it would actually make a difference to someone considering signing up for some Jihad.

Maybe some day they'll realize killing people to convert them is a bad idea and the whole movement will change. I wont be holding my breath.

So this made me wonder something. Why don't we start throwing more PR stuff at potential recruits? I know I've seen the US State department trolling ISIS on Twitter (which is hysterical and I'm super jealous of that job), but seriously, why not try a little harder?

Link

a reply to: Domo1

The non-extremist Muslims speak-up on this reaching a critical mass until they hounded into stopping.

Maybe we will Drone them with a smaller nicer shell.

After all, we would not want to offend them.

I see they learned the art of mediaspin from dizzy city ..
Murder is murder regardless of method used ...

a reply to: Domo1

Giving up terrorism would be better PR .

a reply to: Domo1

Doesn't this say it all...

we are in a media battle in a race for the hearts and minds of our Umma

its not about killing, or terrorism... or even religion

its all about ratings...

Bad PR? Well, they could to try and stop being a bunch of murderous, irrational, misogynistic, religious bigots. But what exactly would that leave them with?

a reply to: AngryCymraeg

an amazing fashion sense?

originally posted by: Akragon
a reply to: AngryCymraeg

an amazing fashion sense?

Every time I think of Bin Laden these days I remember the pathetic tale of the day that he tried to kill the BBC journalist John Simpson in Afghanistan in the mid-Eighties. He couldn't persuade the Afghans around him to murder their guest (they thought that the man was being very silly and told him to go away) and he ended up running back to his cave and crying his eyes out. Let that be his legacy.

They act like any other corporation, always looking for new ways to get their message across, and it betrays their cynicism and vanity. ISIS has become so hideous that perhaps al-Qaeda are going to reshape themselves into a more 'civillised' type of Islamic terrorism; more forgiving and rational in their eyes. But I suspect it's the opportunity to be savage that attracts many of these Western Muslims who join them; being part of the fight for the greatest cause, which justifies the most extreme actions.

Bad PR? LOL. You're still psychopaths.

a reply to: Domo1

Maybe they've finally noticed that sadistic slayings offend everyone in the middle ground?!

Pakistan (at large) has been appalled by the slaughter of the school children. ISIS, Al-Q and the Taliban horrify people in their own nations as much as the rest of the world. They seem to think the only people who see the news are their own enemies in the UK and the USA. Really, the whole world sees these awful killings and thinks of them as sick bastards.

originally posted by: Bloodydagger
Bad PR? LOL. You're still psychopaths.

Because the US has not killed as many as these terrorists have with the Freedom bombs and Democracy laced bullets now have they..

Ironic you use psychopaths.. You know that..




And the many other steller things we have done in the name of liberty and freedom like rape and pillage a nation who had nothing to do with anything..

Psychopaths is right.. Learn to define which is which.. And the people getting thier heads cut off are the ones who did the invading...

a reply to: ThichHeaded

They cut the heads off of their own people too. Their own innocent Women and Children among them. So "beheadings" are not just isolated incidents pertaining to "invaders".

So yes, psychopaths.

Someone has to clean the mess up over there and not let those idiots run amok and grow in power.