The Al-Qaeda 7 Step Plan: The West Complies

Ezbekiyah Street in Cairo - Prosper Marilhat

How different are the several Islamist groups? Do they ultimately work towards the same goal? There are no coincidences. Al-Qaeda (AQ), according to Fouad Hussein (in his 2005 book), has outlined a 7-step plan to establish the Islamic Caliphate:

Step 1: Awakening

Hussein wrote that this step has already been taken from the 9/11 to the fall of Baghdad in 2003. By attacking the US in 2001, AQ believes it led the United States to declare war on the Ummah causing, thus, the Muslim awakening.

Step 2: Opening Eyes

This step has supposedly been taken between 2003 and 2006. By opening their eyes, young Muslims would flock to join the AQ Movement and fight the Western "Aggressor".

Iraq should become the center for all global operations, with an 'army' set up there and bases established in other Arabic states. -- Fouad Hussein

The second step is beginning to resemble present events: worldwide young Muslims (men and women) are flocking to Syria to join IS and other Islamic Militant groups; and Iraq might become the centre for global operations if IS is allowed to get its way - meaning that AQ didn't predict a second phase of "Opening Eyes" since it didn't admit the idea of Islamist plans being delayed.

Step 3: Arising And Standing Up

From 2007 to 2010. There can't be any certainty, though, that this phase has been completed: for instance, Boko Haram began arising in 2009, however it only stepped up its terror activities from 2010 onwards (when they became increasingly lethal, with its multi-part attacks). Fouad Hussein is said to have prophesied "There will be a focus on Syria," - indeed as, since 2011, the focus has in fact been there; Fouad also said "The fighting cadres are supposedly already prepared and some are in Iraq." could he had been referring to Al-Qaeda in Iraq/IS?

Step 4: Cause the Collapse of hated Arab Govs

To occur between 2010 and 2013. Apparently AQ underestimated Bashar al-Assad's resolve and grip to power; as we are in 2014 and none of the Al-Qaeda's affiliates have deposed the Syrian leader. The group also failed to predict the competition among the several opposition groups, deviating thus from the mission. The Muslim Brotherhood, another Islamist group, did cause the collapse of Mubarak's government (in 2011), but it too underestimated the will of the Egyptian people.

Step 5: Declare an Islamic State

Between 2013 and 2016. Right on the mark: Al-Baghdadi has already declared an Islamic State. Boko Haram, last September, declared an Islamic State in Gwoza, a town in Northeast Nigeria. Hamas has declared it "will build an Islamic state in Palestine, all of Palestine". Therefore, Islamist groups are following the AQ Schedule - shouldn't this be an evidence, to politicians, that IS, Hamas, Boko Haram (and other groups alike) are in fact "branches from the same poisonous tree"?

Step 6: Total Confrontation

Once the first Islamic State is established, AQ has said that the "Islamic army will instigate the 'fight between the believers and the non-believers'..." - it is interesting to see how Islamists know the West so well. The US, once again, is playing the AQ game - it is now attacking IS in Iraq and Syria, as predicted by Osama Bin Laden.

In principle, we should not give our enemies what they want; however, since 2001 that's exactly what we have been doing: our Media give them the attention they need to cause enough terror in our populations; our political leaders avoid the obvious, play with words, criticise the wrong partners, deny that Islam is a factor in this matter and they engage in military action, giving thus Islamists exactly what they want - when will our politicians learn?

Step 7: Definite Victory

To be completed by 2020. If Israel yields to US/EU pressure, Hamas/PLO may have definite victory. If the US and the EU continue to stick their head in the sand, given the large Muslim communities they host, IS/Hezbollah/Hizb-ut-Tahrir/Ansar al-Sharia/PLO/Boko Haram/AQIM etc might have a definite victory. If Latin American countries continue to host elements of such groups and allow them to thrive in their territory, Militant Islam will have a definite victory.

If African countries do not pay attention to what is happening in Nigeria, CAR, Mali, Somalia, Tanzania, Kenya (and others) Al-Qaeda and IS might have a definite victory. If China and India don't control some of their regions Violent Islamism might have a victory. If the Philippines, Thailand, Burma and Bangladesh relax they may see their countries hijacked by Islamist terrorists.

At some point we will have to accept the fact that violent jihad is supported by missionary and political Islamist activism. There are no coincidences. All Islamist groups are following the AQ Plan and they are on schedule - their ambition, of establishing a Global Caliphate, is becoming more and more obvious. Whomever denies this, for whichever reason, is hiding something - what exactly?