Al-Qaida threatens to target Chinese over Muslim deaths in Urumqi

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**reds8n**

Al-Qaida's north African wing has threatened to target Chinese workers and projects in the region in retaliation for Muslim deaths in Urumqi last week.

It is the first time Osama bin Laden's terrorist network has directly targeted Chinese interests, according to experts at a London-based risk analysis firm.

Stirling Assynt's report says that al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) – based in Algeria – has issued a call for vengeance, basing its statement on information from people who have seen the instruction.

But the assessment does not suggest there is any direct link between Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang province and al-Qaida. It also suggests it is unlikely that al-Qaida's central leadership has decided to stage attacks within China.

Justin Crump, head of terrorism and country risk at Stirling Assynt, said: "For al-Qaida central, it is really not in their interests or part of their plan at all. I think you will see action where it is easy by al-Qaida franchises, but it won't be al-Qaida policy.

"Strategically it would be highly counter-productive for them if you look at the fact their main assets are in Afghanistan and Pakistan."

He suggested that AQIM's decision was partly "opportunistic", reflecting the ease with which they could target Chinese nationals and anger in some Muslim communities worldwide. Indonesia saw anti-Chinese protests yesterday.

At least 184 people were killed and 1,680 injured in the inter-ethnic violence in Urumqi, which first broke out on 5 July, officials say. According to government figures 137 were Han Chinese, 46 Uighurs and one a Hui man. But Uighurs have alleged that far more of them died – either in a crackdown by security forces or at the hands of Han Chinese during revenge attacks for vicious assaults by Uighurs.

Muslim Uighurs make up almost half the 21-million population of China's vast north-western region of Xinjiang. Many have long chafed at strict rules restricting their religion, which include banning under-18s from mosques, as well as Han migration and policies which they believe favour Han Chinese.

"Although AQIM appear to be the first arm of al-Qaida to officially state they will target Chinese interests, others are likely to follow," adds the note.

"The general situation (and perceived plight) of China's Muslims has resonated amongst the global jihadist community. There is an increasing amount of chatter ... among jihadists who claim they want to see action against China. Some of these individuals have been actively seeking information on China's interests in the Muslim world, which they could use for targeting purposes."

Stirling Assynt estimates that hundreds of thousands of Chinese work in the Middle East and north Africa, including 50,000 in Algeria alone.

The firm's report points out that AQIM attacked an Algerian security convoy protecting Chinese engineers on a motorway project three weeks ago, killing 24 paramilitary police. The workers themselves were not targeted or injured, but the note adds: "Future attacks of this kind are likely to target security forces and Chinese engineers alike."

It also suggested that other al-Qaida groups in the Arabian peninsula "could well target Chinese projects in Yemen".

Despite the huge security presence in Urumqi, violence broke out again yesterday. Officials said police shot dead two Uighur men armed with knives and sticks and injured a third as the trio attacked another Uighur man.

But a Han man in the area told the Associated Press that he saw three Uighurs with knives come out of a mosque and attack paramilitary police.

In a separate development, more than 100 Chinese writers and intellectuals have signed a letter calling for the release of an outspoken Uighur economist who disappeared from his Beijing home last week and is believed to be detained.

"Professor Ilham Tohti is an Uighur intellectual who devoted himself to friendship between ethnic groups and eradicating conflicts between them. He should not be taken as a criminal," said the letter, posted online yesterday.

Xinjiang's governor accused Tohti's website of helping "to orchestrate the incitement" of last week's riot – but the letter's authors said it was an important site for dialogue between Han Chinese and Uighurs.

Hmm... well, no one ever said they were smart I guess.

Be intrigued to see what the Chinese response to this is-- IF anything does happen of course.

How weird is it going to be if China becomes our new and biggest ally in our current military actions.

**Frazzled**

I dare Al Qaeda to take on China double dare em! In fact if Al Qaeda had any balls they would direct all their efforts to attacking China. After all, the global caliphate will never exist if the evil atheists control the turkistans...

**Cheese Elemental**

Well with China's tightly-packed cities, any bombing attack is going to inflict horrendous damage to the population. Isn't it possible that the terrorists could sail over from Taiwan/the Philippenes or make their way through the mountains?

You never know. Those terrorists are pretty damn determined, and China's going to be in a bit of a dilemma.

**Pipboy101**

That will go real well for them. Anyone remember how quickly they let the Chinese Citizens that they kidnapped. I think this is an empty threat because the Chinese Army could unleash more soldiers than they have citizens and they are just as or more brutial than Al-Qaida. And add nukes along to boot.

**drakedeming**

I hope they go after china, cause then they will never mess with us cause china is closer and china will also annihilate them.

**Tyras**

I think it's hot air. Al-Qaida is an organization of cowards. Cowards, but not stupid. They know that they can sucker punch the western nations all day long because none of them will ever open the flood gates of their full military power and bring all out war. War is a horrible and ugly thing that unfortunately catches alot of civilians in the cross fire. While we've seen collateral damage in current operations it is nothing like the all out war such as WW2.

China, on the other hand, seems to be immune from the human rights side of war. The US can kill 20 people in a week long operation and people from all corners of the world start baying to the human rights gods, call for a cease to the operations and brandy about terms like warcrime. China can massacre whole groups of people, protesters, striking workers etc and the world goes, aww it's just China.

Al-Qaida can see this as well. They know that if they were to start blowing

up in China they would reap the whirlwind. Then again, seeing that Alqaida leadership just whips a population of extremeists up into a frenzy, hands them guns and sends them out, who knows. When was the last time the leadership actually crawled out of their caves and put themselves at risk for their cause? Maybe it'll happen. Maybe China will get so tired of the pesky insurgents stirring up trouble that they'll want to go for the source and they'll take over operations in Afghanistan, and head into Pakistan. That would be nice, but I think the peoples of those countries, so anxious to decry the US operations now, might be singing a different tune then. Ah, to dream.

**Frazzled**

Yes, China and Russia have a less conservtive view when it comes to collateral damage and techniques for dealing with insurgents.

**Pipboy101**

A Russian General had no problem of gassing an entire city in Chechnya in response to the school attack. He publicly got into alittle bit of trouble then got the highest award in the Russian Army. Please let Al-Qaida be that dumb to attack China or Russia then let the US say well damn you thought you had it bad when we were here. Have fun F*ck*rs!

**reds8n**

Well...

I don't think it quite "fair" to describe all members of Al Qaida as cowards. They fight for what they believe in and have shown they are willing to die for their beliefs. I don't agree with them or their methods--and some (most ?) of their ways are cowardly. But calling them all cowards is ridiculous.

It's also importnat to remember that it's not some mass organised force or even a coalition as such, just a loose gathering of like minded $%^&$ who align themselves under one "banner". So I don't think it impossible that at least faction would be, to our eyes, stupid enough to engage China/Russia/anyone.

Especially if they genuinely do think that "God is on their side".

..I'll give it....oohh... 4 days, until we start to hear the first "Real" reports of how it's MI6/CIA/The Royal family/The Jews who are actually faking the attacks on the Chinese/whomever in an attempt to trick them into.. etc etc.

**Major Malfunction**

reds8n wrote:Well...

I don't think it quite "fair" to describe all members of Al Qaida as cowards. They fight for what they believe in and have shown they are willing to die for their beliefs. I don't agree with them or their methods--and some (most ?) of their ways are cowardly. But calling them all cowards is ridiculous.

Right. The rank and file terrorist isn't a coward... he's a deluded mislead zealot. The real cowards are the guys that stick guns in their hands and strap bombs to their children to go die for causes they themselves will not.

**Kilkrazy**

A few threads ago we were all agreed that the Chinese have very limited force projection capability.

Short of just nuking cities around the Middle East, there wouldn't be a feasible military response against Al Qeda, that said, we (the Coalition Of The Willing) don;t have much of a military response either, so it probably wouldn't make much difference.

If anything, China are more likely to respond through soft power using their influence in Africa.

**Pipboy101**

You could be admazed on how many soldiers you could fit into cargo ships.

**Frazzled**

They wouldn't invade countries not bordering their terriotory but they would be extremely rough on Muslims in country.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

HAhahahhahahahha.

Al Qaeda really does have Wee Man syndrome doesn't it?

And I have to say, I'm really not scared of them, thus they can hardly be called Terrorists in my book. 9/11 only worked because they caught the US with it's pants down. And the 7/7 attacks in the UK, well, that showed them to be fairly incompetent. Given the locations attacked, the damage done (despite the tragic loss of life) was pretty much minimal.

And now some of their nut cases want to start on China? Pffrt.

Outside their own little sphere of influence, they've been all mouth and no trousers if you ask me.

**Frazzled**

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:HAhahahhahahahha.

Outside their own little sphere of influence, they've been all mouth and no trousers if you ask me.

I'm sorry but a bunch of Al Qaeda terrorists without their pants on would be more terrifying to me than Al Qaeda with AKs...

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

I dunno, from what I've been told, AK's are horribly inaccurate.

And have you seen Carry On Up The Khyber? Beware the Devils in Skirts!

And this is how we got our Empire. Keep Calm, and Carry On.

**drakedeming**

-Bruno: "Your king Osama looks like a dirty wizard or a homeless Santa Claus"

**Ketara**

Yeah. You think things are bad for muslims there now? Wait for one highr anking chinese official to get killed. They'll start massacring muslims instead of oppressing them.

Thing is, China isn't particularly bothered by these things called 'human rights'. Any hate preacher there won't get benefits and a house for him and his six wives. All he'll get is a cigarette and a wall to lean against.

**Frazzled**

Wrong! They won't get cigarettes or a wall. Only soft imperial scum westerners do that!

**Kilkrazy**

Frazzled wrote:They wouldn't invade countries not bordering their terriotory but they would be extremely rough on Muslims in country.

That's the start of the trouble in the first place.

**sebster**

Pipboy101 wrote:That will go real well for them. Anyone remember how quickly they let the Chinese Citizens that they kidnapped. I think this is an empty threat because the Chinese Army could unleash more soldiers than they have citizens and they are just as or more brutial than Al-Qaida. And add nukes along to boot.

There are many useful military tools in pursuing terrorist targets, a 100 million man reservist force is definitely not one of them.

What you need to defeat to terrorism is a high level of information technology, a high quality information network (preferably one that isn't tied up investigating your own citizenry for harmless acts), and a highly responsive, mobile force of troops. China scores poorly in each category.

But the biggest, biggest issue thing you need is a disciplined approach with a high level of restraint, to prevent turning more of the general population into terrorists. China really sucks at that one.

This is why the Chinese have struggled to make any inroads into containing the moderately skilled, poorly funded Uygur for around 15 years. If a professional outfit like Al Quaeda got involved the Chinese would flounder even more.

**Frazzled**

Alternatively you perform the time honored empire approach of wiping out the entire source population of the problem. For a major dictatorship thats a definite option.

**sebster**

Frazzled wrote:Alternatively you perform the time honored empire approach of wiping out the entire source population of the problem. For a major dictatorship thats a definite option.

I'm guessing you haven't done a lot of reading on the Uygur Autonomous Region? Because the Chinese have never done, threatened or considered anything like that despite the terrorism that's gone on in the region. Surprisingly, undemocratic doesn't equal Bond villain.

What the Chinese are doing isn't good, encouraging Han to migrate to the area and slowly making the Uygur a minority in their own region. Which is unsurprisingly leading to terrorist attacks and the odd riot. To which the Chinese are reacting with the ineffective heavy hand typical of an unaccountable, bureaucratic government. Which doesn't really achieve much.

**slice of toast**

Chinese Communist Party's control over the information infrastructure in the country is absolute; I'd be interested to hear why anyone thought otherwise.

AKs are inaccurate because of the firer, not because of the weapon. I'd prefer it to the M4.

China could easily project force with mercenaries or hired African governments. Just because a government hasn't been hired out to do another government's dirty work before on a large scale doesn't mean it couldn't happen. Or maybe it has and I'm ignorant.

I think it's a very real possibility that the Chinese will simply sweeten the incentives to move MORE Han Chinese out there until they can successfully erode the Uighur minority even farther and pretty much erase them in 100, 200, 300 years. Time is on China's side, not the Uighurs.

Al Quaida are not cowards. They strap suicide bombs to the mentally slowed / women / children because it works, and because they know that a healthy man doing the same thing wouldn't succeed because he's being watched more closely. The fact is that what you may consider cowardly with ideas about honor and warfare they consider to be quite practical and time-tested. Most of them are frustrated, with Western antagonism and with the self-repression that Islamic culture inflicts on itself. They aren't scared because they really have nothing left to lose except their own lives.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

slice of toast wrote:

China could easily project force with mercenaries or hired African governments. Just because a government hasn't been hired out to do another government's dirty work before on a large scale doesn't mean it couldn't happen. Or maybe it has and I'm ignorant.

The British Empire used to pay scads of cash to larger, yet massivley poorer countries to go and pick on the French for us.

**Frazzled**

I think it's a very real possibility that the Chinese will simply sweeten the incentives to move MORE Han Chinese out there until they can successfully erode the Uighur minority even farther and pretty much erase them in 100, 200, 300 years. Time is on China's side, not the Uighurs.

So they already are wiping out the problem population, just taking a Chinese timeframe to do so (aka same strategy as Tibet) that strategy is also a time honored tradition.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

'm guessing you haven't done a lot of reading on the Uygur Autonomous Region? Because the Chinese have never done, threatened or considered anything like that despite the terrorism that's gone on in the region. Surprisingly, undemocratic doesn't equal Bond villain.

Ask the people who died at Tienamen square that bond villain question.

See above. Seems like they are doing that, just more slowly in another Russian style.

**dogma**

One thing to keep in mind:

Any Al-Qaida attack would almost certainly cause the Chinese to tighten their already harsh grip on the general populace. An action which would only hasten the state's confrontation with a developing civil society.

**JohnHwangDD**

I say, let the Chinese and Russians do what the West doesn't have the balls to do, and let them just nuke the mideast into a parking lot...

**Orkeosaurus**

Then we can build a huge mall where Mecca used to be!

And they'll be adequate parking!

**JohnHwangDD**

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:The British Empire used to pay scads of cash to larger, yet massivley poorer countries to go and pick on the French for us.

How do you lot count the French and Indian War (prior to the Revolutionary War)?

We kicked the French out of North America, but the troops were Redcoats.