The Awl http://www.theawl.com/ Be Less Stupid Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:25:11 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.2 Nobody Told al-Qaeda About The Death Of Print http://www.theawl.com/2009/11/nobody-told-al-qaeda-about-the-death-of-print http://www.theawl.com/2009/11/nobody-told-al-qaeda-about-the-death-of-print#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:25:11 +0000 Alex Balk http://www.theawl.com/2009/11/nobody-told-al-qaeda-about-the-death-of-print Servicey!The latest number of al-Qaeda's Echo of Battle magazine is out. How does this one compare with September's popular "Girls of the Big Ashra" issue? Apparently, "the magazine devotes a fair amount of space to arguing internal politics within the movement and justifying the latest public statements of leaders." So it's kind of like the Weekly Standard!

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]]> Servicey!The latest number of al-Qaeda's Echo of Battle magazine is out. How does this one compare with September's popular "Girls of the Big Ashra" issue? Apparently, "the magazine devotes a fair amount of space to arguing internal politics within the movement and justifying the latest public statements of leaders." So it's kind of like the Weekly Standard!

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]]> http://www.theawl.com/2009/11/nobody-told-al-qaeda-about-the-death-of-print/feed 11 Financial Experts: Dump al Qaeda Stock http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/financial-experts-dump-al-qaeda-stock http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/financial-experts-dump-al-qaeda-stock#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:40:56 +0000 Dave Bry http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/financial-experts-dump-al-qaeda-stock falling market"We assess that al-Qaeda is in its weakest financial condition in several years." – senior U.S. Treasury Department official David Cohen. Apparently, a slow quarter of fundraising, coupled with al Qaeda executives' risky reluctance to invest in opium products, cigarette smuggling or bootleg music and computer software, has left them at a competitive disadvantage to upstart firms like the Taliban and Hezbollah. "These smaller, faster local operations are actually better suited to weather a recession," said CNBC financial analyst Jim Cramer. "There's always a bull market somewhere. But a monolithic dinosaur like al Qaeda just can't shift gears quickly enough to find it." Other experts blame the rating agencies for this latest blow to the world economy. Standard and Poors awarded al Qaeda stock a strong "triple-A" rating just last week. "The rating agencies are supposed to be minding the store," said The Times' Gretchen Morgenson. "The terrorism market was obviously headed for trouble. Good times can't last forever."

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]]> falling market"We assess that al-Qaeda is in its weakest financial condition in several years." – senior U.S. Treasury Department official David Cohen. Apparently, a slow quarter of fundraising, coupled with al Qaeda executives' risky reluctance to invest in opium products, cigarette smuggling or bootleg music and computer software, has left them at a competitive disadvantage to upstart firms like the Taliban and Hezbollah. "These smaller, faster local operations are actually better suited to weather a recession," said CNBC financial analyst Jim Cramer. "There's always a bull market somewhere. But a monolithic dinosaur like al Qaeda just can't shift gears quickly enough to find it." Other experts blame the rating agencies for this latest blow to the world economy. Standard and Poors awarded al Qaeda stock a strong "triple-A" rating just last week. "The rating agencies are supposed to be minding the store," said The Times' Gretchen Morgenson. "The terrorism market was obviously headed for trouble. Good times can't last forever."

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]]> http://www.theawl.com/2009/10/financial-experts-dump-al-qaeda-stock/feed 8 Enter The Age Of Anal Terror http://www.theawl.com/2009/09/enter-the-age-of-anal-terror http://www.theawl.com/2009/09/enter-the-age-of-anal-terror#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:10:49 +0000 Alex Balk http://www.theawl.com/2009/09/enter-the-age-of-anal-terror Ass bomber"'This is the nightmare scenario,' said Chris Yates, an aviation security consultant." Sounds pretty scary! What exactly is he talking about? Al-Qaeda suicide bomber Abdullah Asieri, who attempted to assassinate a Saudi prince using a new, silent but deadly technique.

Taking a trick from the narcotics trade – which has long smuggled drugs in body cavities – Asieri had a pound of high explosives, plus a detonator inserted in his rectum.

This was a meticulously planned operation with al Qaeda once again producing something new: this time, the Trojan bomber.

The blast left the prince lightly wounded – a failure as an assassination, but as an exercise in defeating security, it was perfect.

This brings up a whole range of emotions and concerns, not the least of which is, really, CBS? The "Trojan bomber"? This guy and everyone else who uses this technqiue-al-Qaeda helpfully promises to put a DIY manual on the Internet soon-is going to be known as the "Ass Bomber." Also, is there a worse job in the world than being an Ass Bomber's "handler"? So many questions.

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]]> Ass bomber"'This is the nightmare scenario,' said Chris Yates, an aviation security consultant." Sounds pretty scary! What exactly is he talking about? Al-Qaeda suicide bomber Abdullah Asieri, who attempted to assassinate a Saudi prince using a new, silent but deadly technique.

Taking a trick from the narcotics trade – which has long smuggled drugs in body cavities – Asieri had a pound of high explosives, plus a detonator inserted in his rectum.

This was a meticulously planned operation with al Qaeda once again producing something new: this time, the Trojan bomber.

The blast left the prince lightly wounded – a failure as an assassination, but as an exercise in defeating security, it was perfect.

This brings up a whole range of emotions and concerns, not the least of which is, really, CBS? The "Trojan bomber"? This guy and everyone else who uses this technqiue-al-Qaeda helpfully promises to put a DIY manual on the Internet soon-is going to be known as the "Ass Bomber." Also, is there a worse job in the world than being an Ass Bomber's "handler"? So many questions.

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