al Qaeda to take over Palestinian Authority?

Is al Qaeda getting ready to kick Hamas to the curb so to speak as al Qaeda moves into more prominent role in the Palestinian Authority? A recent op-ed by Louis Rene Beres and Clare M. Lopez, Palestinian - al Qaeda Plans is worth your time to read. A major tactic of al Qaeda is to find weak points in a country or region, slip in, and move to subvert the original protagonists such as Hamas in the Palestinian Authority. The tactic has been used effectively to try to take over Somalia and Sudan. Now they are moving into the Palestinian Authority and Hezbollah is busily being re-armed and re-supplied in Lebanon. According to Beres and Lopez, for the United States:

"Significantly, this same crosscut of Islamist terrorist groups presently exists in the United States - although here they function "only" as fund-raising, propaganda, recruitment, and sleeper-cell operatives.... Joint Palestinian-al Qaeda teams are planning coordinated mega-terror strikes against Israel and America. Simultaneously, a fight is taking shape among the major ideological factions of radical Islam."

Then the writers give the most important point of their excellent commentary:

"It follows that both Israel and the United States should immediately cease any and all assistance to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Authority. Above all, it is time for Washington to stop sending American tax dollars to support archenemies of the United States."

Candidly, you and I could shout this from the roof tops and we would be whistling in the wind. Beres and Lopez, however, have credentials worthy of their opinions being heard. Lopez served for 20 years as a CIA operations officer; Beres served under former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Maybe someone will listen to these two people who have earned our respect and appreciation. And the Baker Commission on Iraq says we should "talk" with Iran and Syria to resolve issues in Iraq. Are those illustrious, well-intentioned over-the-hill group of citizens serious? Have they become the Neville Chamberlains of our time? Iraq and company are fueling the fires in Iraq and we're supposed to "talk" with them? We need brave, clear-thinking and direct speaking statesmen with the guts and manly orbs to step up to the plate. We don't seem serious and we'd darn well better be or you need to go out and start studying your new "holy" book. These are serious times. I believe on this one the President won't back down and Congress better not threaten to cut back on funding for our troops.