Meanwhile, the second largest Islamic radical group, Hizbul Islam, has been at war with al Shabaab over al Qaeada. Hizbul Islam, and some al Shabaab factions, want no part of al Qaeda and its war against the world. Hizbul Islam wants to concentrate on Somalia.
Unlike Soviet Russia which had a state to enforce a decision to focus on Russia, the transnational jihadis have no structure to enforce a decision. So battles like this could be fought wherever jihadis have a presence. Which is something we can exploit.
But that civil war among jihadis isn't the main battle we should be concerned with. Moderates are at a disadvantage--by definition--when it comes to fighting either type of jihadi, as we recently witnessed:
The Muslim organizer of a rally last week in Detroit against terrorism said he received a death threat over the phone from a man with an Arabic accent upset that he spoke out against other Muslims.
Remember, it isnt' insensitive to all Moslems to condemn jihadists. Indeed, refusal to condemn jihadists in a mistaken belief that all Moslems will be insulted gives the jihadis the default position on defining Islam. Moderates within Islam need our help--including killing jihadis and holding others captured--to win their civil war and define Islam without suicide bombings, and "honor" killings, and all the other atrocities and indignities that define Islam as the jihadis want it practiced.
