# Al Queda wants the Pope Dead? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 29, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504 "2003-12-29T01:43:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/1 "2003-12-29T01:43:35Z")
I was flipping (mousing?) through the net-news and caught the tail end of a piece on Al Queda. The Brits say there is interest in Ocean going vessels, the Saudi’s caught a group loading explosives in small A/C to act as missles into larger aircraft, and the Italians claim there was a plot to attack the Vatican on Christmas day. [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,106814,00.html](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,106814,00.html) What is the reasoning behind the attack against the Pope? I’ve never heard anything antagonizing from the Vatican, just the opposite. There was even some sympathy for SH from the Vatican. Attacking the seat of one religion would invite a similar response, no? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/2 "2003-12-29T02:09:16Z")
And you’re looking for rational thought and strategy from Al-Queda because…? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/3 "2003-12-29T02:39:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Larry Borgia \* > \*\*And you’re looking for rational thought and strategy from Al-Queda because…? \*\* Not really, I was hoping to hear what the irrational strategy was. ---
**Author:** ![RobbieFal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c5a1d2/32.png) [@RobbieFal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobbieFal)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/4 "2003-12-29T02:48:02Z")
And I thought I was impatient ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/5 "2003-12-29T02:49:08Z")
They probably don’t like his hat. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/6 "2003-12-29T03:28:37Z")
Death to the infidel, I guess. (If this report is true.) ---
**Author:** ![fatjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ac91a4/32.png) [@fatjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fatjack)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/7 "2003-12-29T04:11:54Z")
The Pope will be dead soon enough. The Vatican is a symbol of Christinanty though. They like to blow up things that symbolize what they don’t like. It would be a horrible thing for them to do so, even worse than what they’re already done. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gozu/32/6615_2.png) [@Gozu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/8 "2003-12-29T04:34:57Z")
I’m not sure which I trust less: Fox News or Berlusconi. I don’t think there is any substance to this. And from the twisted point of view of Alqaeda, it doesn’t make much sense to attack the Vatican. America is supposed to be the great Satan, and most people in the U.S are protestants, not catholics. I guess we can file this in the “we’ll never know” category. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gozu/32/6615_2.png) [@Gozu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/9 "2003-12-29T04:46:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fatjack \* > \*\*The Pope will be dead soon enough. The Vatican is a symbol of Christinanty though. They like to blow up things that symbolize what they don’t like. It would be a horrible thing for them to do so, even worse than what they’re already done. \*\* From what I understand, Alquaeda hates (in order): 1- America (the great Satan). 2- Jews (the evil zionist opressors) 3- Predominantly muslim countries wich governments are not seen as islamic enough (basically ALL of them since the Taliban fell) 4- Any country that assists/assisted america in the war against terror or the war in Iraq. (that’s one big list) 5- kittens AFAIK, alqaeda has not (yet?) included christians in it’s hitlist. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/10 "2003-12-29T04:50:40Z")
I thought (at least according to ObL interviews) a-Q hated: 1. The US in Saudi (because of Mecca and Medina) 2. The plight of the Iraqi people 3. The plight of the Palastinian people 4. US economic interference (via the IMF and World Bank) in Muslim society. But that’s only from the horses mouth so what does he know . . . ---
**Author:** ![labmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f19dbf/32.png) [@labmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/labmonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/11 "2003-12-29T07:25:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by London\_Calling \* > \*\*I thought (at least according to ObL interviews) a-Q hated: > > 1. The US in Saudi (because of Mecca and Medina) > 2. The plight of the Iraqi people > 3. The plight of the Palastinian people > 4. US economic interference (via the IMF and World Bank) in Muslim society. > > But that’s only from the horses mouth so what does he know . . . \*\* Ahh yes, rational hate, goes down much easier. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/12 "2003-12-29T10:35:37Z")
You are surprised that Al Qaeda would attack the Pope? These guys go on and on about “Crusaders” for a reason. It’s not a just a code word for Americans and Brits. They mean Christians when they say Christians and they mean Jews when they say Jews and they mean Americans when they say Americans. To many people here want to project rational thinking onto these people. If we started thinking of them as they really are, a lot like the Ku Klux Klan or Nazis, it might be more accurate. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/13 "2003-12-29T12:28:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by labmonkey \* > Ahh yes, rational hate, goes down much easier. Can’t tell, are you making a point, or just driving by ? ---
**Author:** ![labmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f19dbf/32.png) [@labmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/labmonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/14 "2003-12-29T15:53:26Z")
Just passin’ through [whistling] ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/15 "2003-12-29T16:03:56Z")
I thought it was **Aeschines** who wants the pope dead. **🙂** \*See: It’s time to liquidate the Catholic Church \* ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/16 "2003-12-30T02:51:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fatjack \* > \*\*The Pope will be dead soon enough. The Vatican is a symbol of Christinanty though. They like to blow up things that symbolize what they don’t like. It would be a horrible thing for them to do so, even worse than what they’re already done. \*\* You think that killing one man would be worse than the thousands they’ve already killed? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/17 "2003-12-30T05:15:56Z")
Al Queda probably has plans for just about every possible attack you can think of. Every so often one of these plans slips out and the media makes a big deal about it. But the U.S. Gov’t has contingency plans for war with Canada. That doesn’t mean we’re going to do it, and just because there’s some A.Q. chatter about cruise ships or the Pope doesn’t mean that’s really their next plan. The next big A.Q. attack will probably be something unexpected, just like 9-11. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/18 "2003-12-30T05:20:27Z")
It’s not so much that they hate the Vatican, but that Western Catholics love it! Imagine a devastating attack against St. Paul’s. Much as the US government was forced to react with extreme force against 9/11 Catholics would feel out for blood and pressure their governments accross the world to retaliate (and understandably so!). War against some Muslim nation, even if its involvement in the attack is sketchy, at best) would pretty much be inevitable. It would become, in a way, a new Crusade. Here’s where AQ’s thinking probably diverges from reality. Moderate Muslims would be united with current extremists against the invaders (who would, of course, be comitting atrocities left and right, because that’s what Westerners do), and sweep the mideast (and beyond!) free of Western influence, Jews, and secular (mis)rule in a blitzkreig of righteousness. And then they all get ponies. An Islam vs. Judeo-Christian/secular war is exactly what these guys want. Which is why war shuld be avoided whenever possible, and when not, carefully planned to not be seen as a new Crusade. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/19 "2003-12-30T15:44:10Z")
IIRC, Qaeda is thought to very “departmentalized” in cell structure. The bar for what it takes to be called Qaeda is prob’ly ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504/20 "2003-12-30T15:52:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by London\_Calling \* > \*\*I thought (at least according to ObL interviews) a-Q hated: > > 1. The US in Saudi (because of Mecca and Medina) > 2. The plight of the Iraqi people > 3. The plight of the Palastinian people > 4. US economic interference (via the IMF and World Bank) in Muslim society. > > But that’s only from the horses mouth so what does he know . . . \*\* Yes, al Qaeda cares about “plights.” Stalin was misunderstood. You must break eggs to make mayonaise. _Our_ news media sucks? [search engine] “Fatwah Osama/Usama” – all answers have been spelled out categorically, immune from odd spin added in Europe. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-queda-wants-the-pope-dead/221504.md?page=2)