cj 435 the looming tower ch 7
THE LOOMING TOWER AL-QAEDA AND THE ROAD TO 9/11 CH. 7 RETURN OF THE HERO The Muttawa Government subsidized religious vigilantes Their goal was to stamp out sinfulness and heresy They were officially known as ?representatives of the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice? They became the models for the Taliban in Afghanistan The Hero bin Laden assumed the role of the hero who could voice a longing for change and provide a focus for the rage of the young people. He offered a conventional, Muslim Brothers critique of the plight of the Arab World: The West, particularly the U.S. was responsible for the humiliating failure of the Arabs to succeed. After describing the American/Vietnam conflict he stated: ?They won?t stop until we do jihad against them.?