Benazir Bhutto, ex-PM of Pakistan, described AQ in the following words n 2004, which I would say is a very concise & significant definition. It shows that she was well aware of the AQ threat, & the AQ also correctly considered her a major threat 4 its survival n the region. 1/n

Benazir Bhutto says ”Al-Qaeda has managed to unite disparate militant groups into an international confederate of terrorists, which is at times is called the Islamic Front. 2/n

Often these groups exploit local tensions, for example the tensions in the Middle East, the nationalistic feelings of the Chechen people, the nationalistic opposition to foreign troops in Iraq or the Kashmir dispute. However, they do have an ideology. 3/n

Their real agenda is to use regional political issues to bring about a theocratic dictatorship similar to the one that existed in Afghanistan under the Taliban. 4/n

Gender discrimination, cultural intolerance, denial of representation, repression of freedom and subjugation of the masses to one-man clerical dictatorship is a negation of humanity's struggle to overcome suffering and to live in respect and dignity. 5/n

It is important to separate the terrorists from the regional issue by defusing tensions where they exist through political action. (Benazir Bhutto interview with Syed Saleem Shahzad for @asiatimesonline on 3rd Nov 2004). 6/n