US Officials: Al-Qaida 'imploding,' unpopular; Hizbullah and Hamas worrying

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Al-Qaida is imploding and its violent tactics have turned Muslims worldwide against the organization, Top US counter-terrorism officials said on Monday. "Absolutely it's imploding. It's imploding because it's not a message that resonates with a lot of Muslims," said Dell Dailey, the State Department's coordinator for counter-terrorism. Lebanese Hizbullah and Palestinian Hamas, which combine social services, local governance, national politics with extremist attacks, are of more concern, said Undersecretary of State James Glassman. "These are models that have a lot more popular appeal than al-Qaida, that has almost no popular appeal," he said.