Al Qaeda Split

While driving back from Mt. Pleasant today, I caught a fascinating story about a split in Al Qaeda on Talk of the Nation (Listen: Al-Qaida Faithful Losing Faith?). The guest, Peter Bergen co-wrote the cover story in this week's New Republic with Paul Cruickshank subtitled "The jihadist revolt against bin Laden."

The New Yorker's Lawrence Wright has a longer (of course, it's the New Yorker!) article on the same topic. Wright wrote the excellent The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (Vintage)

The basic thrust of the split seems to be a questioning by important jihadists of al Qaeda's use of violence against innocents.

Visit Bergen's web site: PeterBergen.com

Visit Lawrence Wright.