"The only option to attack our enemy"

Interesting article in the Asia Times about the aims of Al-Qaeda in terms of warfare, influence, Pakistan and Barak Obama.

"We have adopted [suicide bombing] because there is a huge difference between our material resources and our enemy's, and this is the only option to attack our enemy.

"Al-Qaeda basically wants a pan-Islamic caliphate. Based in Pakistan, [they] are not that ambitious. They already have their Islamic Emirate - it is in the Waziristan tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan. What they want most of all is to expand it. They also know they would never stand a chance of taking over the whole of Pakistan. An expert in Washington, describes it as "a class struggle - almost like an evolving peasant revolution. Baitullah Mehsud [the Pakistani Taliban leader] is but a peasant from a poor family."

What is startling is that the neo-Taliban are now practically in control of North-West Frontier Province on the border with Afghanistan - whose capital is fabled Peshawar. They already control several Peshawar suburbs. The Pakistani state has virtually no power in these areas."