What is Al-Qaeda really trying to do?

Here is an explanation of what Al-Qaeda thinks it is doing supposedly. It is hitting economic targets according to this article, and they bring "proof" in the form of Al-Qaeda manifestos.  Well if Al-Qaeda says something is true, then it must be true, right? Al Qaeda tells us:

 

If the enemy has used his economy to rule the world and hire collaborators, then we need to strike this economy with harsh attacks to bring it down on the heads of its owners. If the enemy has built his economy on the basis of open markets and free trade by getting the monies of investors, then we have to prove to these investors that the enemy's land is not safe for them, that his economy is not capable of guarding their monies, so they would abandon him to suffer alone the fall of his economy.

This is about Jihad against the Crusader enemy, so what about the September 11th operation? Hijacking planes is a well known tactic, which was used by various fighters and freedom fighters, so what's new about this operation? People used to hijack planes and consider them a target, but those willing to put in the extra effort turned these planes into a method only, a projectile shot in the heart of the enemy ...The enemy used to protect his external interests and spend enormous sums for this protection, so he was surprised when he was struck inside his borders. The enemy was used to protecting a thousand interests outside his county, now he has to protect a million interests inside his country that need continuing protection!! The attack on the Trade Center forced America since that day to spend billions to protect the huge economic infrastructure that runs the American economy. Using planes in this attack has forced America to spend billions to protect the planes and airports in all possible ways.

 

But in fact, the bombings in Madrid were aimed at getting the Spanish to withdraw from Iraq (and succeeded) and almost anything, including the London underground, can be called "economic." Moreover, in each case the groups involved seemed to be independent of Al-Qaeda proper. And what about Iraq? Is al-Qaeda hitting economic targets there?

 

Ami Isseroff