al Qaeda started off as a jihadist movement with grievance aimed against the presence of western states political structures on Arabian soil.

With successive operations, al Qaeda grew and expanded. A lot of their campaigns ended in defeat but much more were executed with successful completion, dating back to early 1990s; . . .in New York!

Without doubt, we must credit Henry Kissinger and his foreign policy strategies in the 70s for the Middle East. Kissinger's meddling seeded what would later result in the fatal loss (assassination) of Anwar Sadat.

At the time, in the 70s, Egypt was the arms bearer. . .the unofficially crowned protector of Arabian land. Politically, militarily and academically. . .Egypt was primarily the gateway and the frontier through which diplomatic negotiations back and forth were carried out between West and Arabs. There was a secondary frontier. . .when Egypt proved difficult the West would approach the Arabs through Turkey.

The Prime Minister of Israel at the time was Golda Meir, a woman. She had crushed Egypt in the 7day war and now the terms of the surrender and recovery were negotiated and mediated from Washington and by no other person than Kissinger, manipulating Sadat to yield to Meir.

The defeat of Egypt and the losses of territorial land to Israel weakened Egypt's position and consequently the Arabian political ambition. With no state asserting Arab interests against the West, movements sprung up.

The plot to assasinate Sadat was carried out by disgruntled citizens, members in a brotherhood, opposed to his softening diplomacy and a perceived diplomatic warm-up to Israel. al Qaeda's second in command, Ayman Al-Zawahiri was an activist in that brotherhood movement. His encounters with the government were numerous and his notoriety ultimately capped when he joined camped with Osama Bin Laden.

The weakening of Egypt as a frontier and the assassination of Sadat gave the West a new ammunition. They exploited fears and sold to the rulers and Sheikhs a false sense of security promising lasting reign on the throne. To make sure that Saudi is safe from possible invasion from Libya or Iraq they convinced the King to allow the station of a security detail. Just few marines to guard his Kingdom from attacks. That few, proud marines grew to become a barrack and a military base. This bold move to reside infidels on the soil of the most spiritually sacred territory in Arabia infuriated activists and rebel groups.

As you will recall, that barrack was the target of many truck bombs some years ago. This was the beginning of al Qaeda using suicide bombing as an acceptable and justifiable method of operation.

Umar Farouk is not the first non-Arab to be recruited for suicide bombing. . .but he is going into the records book as the first Nigerian to be so employed. Many more are coming behind him. Here is why I said that. . .

1. By accident or otherwise, the West has aided the global expansion of al Qaeda and made the latter a model and a pseudo-franchise for regional rebel groups to advance their grievances against the West. This franchise is selling fast at the global level. It cannot be denied that MEND was emboldened by the successful actions of al Qaeda. An accelerated ideological firestorm produced in Iraq but re-branded to fit regional needs. A pseudo-franchise!

2. For a Westerner (American, European), social identity begin and end in the articles of their Constitution. Particularly in America, the Amendment Articles of Rights is a constant navigator and guide for the individual citizen against the complex bureaucracy of Government power.
For a Northern Nigerian Muslim, social identity begin and end in the Quran and particularly in the articles of faith. This is not to say that Muslims in Southern Nigeria are not ardent believers in the faith and The Quran. . .it is a waste of my time and yours to focus on them for this topic; when it comes to ideological assertions, they are in a state of inertia. Not even al Qaeda can move them into action! This is different in the North. . .there are willing rebel groups waiting for just such sponsorships to launch a war against infidels, be they fellow Nigerians or Americans or Europeans.

3. The creed for Jihad is a simple word - Allahu Akbar! Its a magical word. When I read the Quran, I encounter mysterious words, such as ' Alif' 'Lam' 'Mim'. They are keys and codes to certain messages. There are many of these words in The Quran but in my experience, none is as powerful as 'Allahu Akbar'. When you say this word you basically make a declaration for whatever the aim is. . .and the mystery is manifested in a surge of physical strength and spiritual reinforcement in the individual embarking upon an act. It is a good tool for starting a project or an act. In Northern Nigeria, children graduate Islamic studies first before their enrollment in tertiary public schools. Their beginning is saturated with the creed. . .nothing in the Western academy can ever erase it, nothing, never! This is good and exemplary for the rest of Nigerian societies who might want for their toddlers an early mind setter to counter the brainwash of the Western education system.

4. Westerners have a formidable and uphill task if they ever attempt to block al Qaeda from recruiting followers in Northern Nigeria. We only need to look back couple of years at how Westerners have responded to unrest in the North. Back in the 80s, the British Cultural Museum and Library in Kano closed its doors and evacuated its staff out of harm's way when Mai Tatsine launched a cult war against authorities. . .it was so turbulent that in Kaduna, three hours away by road, the US embassy evacuated as well. Mai Tatsine was fighting the mainstream Muslim society and did not discriminate who was killed in the line of fire. . .even MOPOL could not calm the city and neither could the military detachment sent from Kaduna. For more than a month Kano was hot! We have seen many repeats of episodes paralleling that tragedy by different religious rebels in the North. They do not need training in creed. . .its already ingrained in them. They die for their leader's cause. . .with little or no knowledge of what that cause might be. So they are already suicidal. They just need to be coached and refined in manners so they can camouflage past security profile point.

Increasingly Northern Nigeria is becoming Arabicized. What happens to Arabs in distant Yemen, Iraq, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, etc. . .may draw more sympathy and sense of allegiance and ownership; and as a matter of fact elicit their direct response than what befalls their brothers and sisters across the Niger and Benue.

It is high time for proactive action. We must assume that al Qaeda is indeed already nested up there and we should approach the danger with the intent to correct, rather than confront what could turn out to consume all of us irrespective of tribal identity, religion or origin.