Al Qaeda and its Propaganda Warfare

A recent survey conducted by worldpublicopinion.org has found that most Pakistanis now see Al Qaeda and Taleban as critical threats to their country.
The survey asserted that around eighty per cent Pakistani’s - compared to only around forty per cent eighteen months ago - see both organisations with extreme caution. This survey comes at a time when Al Qaeda appears to be on the defensive in its propaganda war or at least portrayed as such by the Western media. 
 The recent interview of Al Qaeda’s number three Al Yazid, is just a new addition on Al Qaeda’s attempts to maintain a grip on its propaganda war. 
 The interview comes after one of Al Qaeda’s reported ally, Tehreek-e-Taleban Pakistan or TTP, with their reported brutality and mercilessness, beheading Pakistani soldiers, bombing civilian’s targets, and creating frenzy in the society at large, contributed to the above mentioned survey’s results.
Although it is quite difficult to accurately determine what effects Al Qaeda’s propaganda machine has had, or currently holds among Muslims worldwide, few generalisations can be made. On an institutional level, the Iraqi experience is a foremost example where most of the Sunni’s who once supported Al Qaeda and fought along with it, were successfully disengaged from it, both at the individual and tribal level.
Secondly, part of Pakistani society, that at one point sympathised with Al Qaeda’s ideology now find it increasingly difficult to justify the violence TTP-or other Al Qaeda affiliated groups—have inflicted in the country.
Thirdly, a failure on Al Qaeda’s part to inflict any serious damages on US or Western interests for some time now, may suggest that not only is its operational capability weakened but also its recruitment drive. On an ideological level, it still remains difficult to quantify Al Qaeda’s successes or failures.
The recent survey can serve some purpose with reference to Pakistan, where Al Qaeda has been portrayed to be losing on the ideological front.
However, it is worth noting that the same respondents of that very survey, when asked of US policy in Pakistan remained negative, whilst over two-third of them demonstrated a large distrust of President Obama and his policies. Furthermore surveys often portray confusing and sometimes unreliable results.
Some of Al Qaeda’s objectives—such as cessation of western interference and complete withdrawal from Muslim countries, and of US support to dictatorial regimes—may find support amongst a majority of Muslims across the globe.
Though its objectives may reflect sentiments of majority of Muslims, it does not mean that these Muslims are cohorts of Al Qaeda. However, Al Qaeda remains active in its propaganda war. It was quick to vow to avenge Sarkozy’s remarks on 
the burqa.
It defended its position in Pakistan through an aired interview on Al-Jazeera to counter Obama’s speech in Cairo, blaming him for the displacement of nearly three million refugees in Pakistan. It continues to foster allies globally, Somalia’s Al Shabab and the renewed Iraqi insurgency being 
prime examples.
Al Qaeda has also retained its capability to propagate its message on the Internet through parasite and 
supported websites.
The situation in Pakistan, however, remains a worry for Al Qaeda. ..more..http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=/data/opinion/2009/July/opinion_July138.xml&section=opinion