So, how would China respond...?
I think this is just one of the many idle threats by an Al Qaeda affiliate, but it does raise some interesting questions.
Just as a thought project, what happens if China gets involved?
Certainly, heavy domestic crackdowns on Muslim populations, but what do their foreign ops look like? How would they cooperate with the US? How different from the US would their contacts be with the Somalis, Saudis, Pakistanis, etc? What level of military response?
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.....
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.
Just as a thought project, what happens if China gets involved?
Certainly, heavy domestic crackdowns on Muslim populations, but what do their foreign ops look like? How would they cooperate with the US? How different from the US would their contacts be with the Somalis, Saudis, Pakistanis, etc? What level of military response?
posted by mikevotes at
6:57 AM
4 Comments:
Interesting....
My first observation is that China doesn't have a Messianic complex vis a vis Muslims (or the Jews). There will be no bible-ops, if you will, no "war of civilizations" in how they approach al Qaida.
However they deal with Muslim nations I image it will be... business like. As for internal Muslim populations, I don't know.
By
-epm, at 7:50 AM
Right. At this point in their early empire, they're not to the value spreading stage.
Also at their imperial stage, they're willing to overlook atrocities in their client states for access to resources, but atrocities enacted against them would be destabilizing to their regime, so I don't know.....
By
mikevotes, at 8:26 AM
It could mean a better relationship between China and America as America's stated military operation is to rid Afghanistan of Al Qaeda.
If our military aims are in China's best interests, would that bring better cooperation between China and America on other issues? I think so.
By
Unknown, at 3:52 PM
That's certainly a good and foreseeable outcome, too.
Again, I don't think Al Qaeda would be strategically stupid enough to attack China, but on readingh the (probably empty) threat, I thought it was an interesting war game.
By
mikevotes, at 4:32 PM
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