Al Qaeda on the rocks

Amir Taheri points out that Al Qaeda is in trouble:

WHERE do we go from here? Islamist groups are posing now that question in the murky space they inhabit on the margins of reality. It is asked in radical mosques, touched upon in articles published by fellow-travelers and debated in the chat-rooms of militant Web sites. Beyond the usual suggestions to hijack a few more jets or poison some Western city's drinking water, the movement appears to have run out of ideas. Yet it may be passing through its deepest crisis since 9/11.

In the remainder of the article, Tahiri details precisely the kind of trouble in which Al Qaeda finds itself: decapitated leadership, communications problems, funding problems, etc. If you'd like to feel a moment of sheer optimism, read his article.