Was Al Quaeda behind the Arab spring?

[simon]

The Arab Spring resulted from young people being encouraged to overthrow authoritarian regimes in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Syria.
We were led to think it was frustration at rising poverty, unemployment in these countries.

It was one of he first revolutions which was spread by extensive use of social media websites etc.

One possibility was that Al Quaeda members posed as moderate reformers ecouraging young impressionable youths to protest, revolt and overthrow their governments. Selling them cover stories of ending poverty and becoming western styled democracies.

Sadly the naive west took the side of the revolutionaries too short sighted to see what could be really behind them.

These countries took to these revolutions on the spur of the moment. Unlike other revolutions such as Russia 1917 there was no planned government to take over neither were political parties in place for elections.

Al Quaeda knew there would be a chaotic void. In all these countries militants linked to Al Quaeda are causing problems.

We know hard line Taliban like regimes are formed from chaos. Afghanistan was taken over by Taiban in 1996.

Somalia had a strong tough leader called Said Barre. In 1991 his people over threw him. Since then Somalia has had constant war. Now the extremist Al Shabab is set to take over.

People learn from history. There are many radicals who dream of Syria Egypt etc becomming like Somalia.

I think that was the plan behind the Arab Spring, tell young people they are poor and jobless because of their government, Assad, Mubarak etc (despite the fact that the global recession was to blame). They would rise up overthrow their leaders. With no elections or Political parties planned, their would be a void that would lead to chaos and Al Quaeda taking over.

The whole region is unstable now. A dream come true for Al Quaeda.

Is it possible that this is the case?

[Aj]

No they weren't. Civilians and the failing governments were behind the Arab Spring Uprisings. See link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_spring

[The First Dragon]

Al Qaeda got involved in the "Arab Spring" because it saw an opportunity. You could say it was a fellow traveler. Both Al Qaeda and pro-democracy people wanted Gaddafi out of power. What they wanted after that was different.
Al Qaeda members or sympathizers certainly try to give the impression of being moderates when it helps their cause. But this is taking advantage of the popularity of the Arab Spring; Al Qaeda did not cause the Arab Spring.
There are any number of factions fighting for power. Sometimes their interests will coincide, and they will become allies for a time. This does not, in itself, make them friends. The US and the USSR were allies in WWII. They were never friends.
As yet, the people of the Arab and other Middle Eastern countries have not come to a unified understanding of what they want or how to achieve it. That will take time.
Meanwhile, of course, Al Qaeda will be working for what it wants. It's only to be expected.

[Gent 2]

The real Arab Spring heros were,as you say many young people wanting better than they had.
But they weren't organised,so the whole thing was hijacked by Al Quaeda.
AQ are just as bad,or worse,islam is about obeying,,not about democratic rule.
The "people's revolution,has become an easier route to power,for the organised islamic fundamentalists.
They have little united opposition.

[Visualsoda278]

Al Qaeda are CIA employees

http://stormcloudsgathering.com/egyptian...being-told

[xpatinasia]

No, of course not.