alternatehistory.com

The principal complaints Osama Bin Laden made against the United State, that he used to justify his fatwa saying it was the duty of Muslims to kill any "Americans who pay taxes", were (A) US troop presence in the Arabian peninsula, (B) US sanctions and bombing of Iraq, (C) US support for Israel, and (D) US support for "apostate" regimes in the Muslim.

For more detail on this "declaration of war", see:
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Osama_bin_Laden's_Declaration_of_War

He elastically defined every ruling government in the Muslim world except the Taliban as "apostate".

Also, there was a certain circular logic to it. "Stop supporting apostate regimes", "What makes them apostate regimes?", "that they cooperate with westerners economically, politically, militarily and diplomatically"

Essentially he was declaring a one man Monroe Doctrine over the Muslim majority world against non-Muslim interference, only much broader in the the things it considered "violations" that was even less specific about what kind Muslim to non-Muslim relationship were even allowed. IE - Is commercial trade "support"? Aid via international organizations? Loans at interest? Commercial trade in arms?

But I digress. Given his family's connections with the Saudi elite, and his ability to draw donations from Saudi citizens, why didn't he do something like this multi-step plan to achieve goals A, B, C and D?

Step 1. Lobby for a Muslim nuclear deterrent for the Saudi regime, specifically purchase of Pakistani nuclear weapons for Saudi deterrence against apostates like Iran and Saddam, as well as the US and Egypt. Accomplish this by purchase or by having Pakistan, then under US protection, be designated the nuclear protector of a Muslim "NATO".

Step 2. That accomplished, the Sunni fundamentalist regime of Saudi Arabia has no need for American protection and can tell the Americans to leave. Repeat same process in other GCC states.

Step 3. With a security policy independent of the US, stop cooperating with the Iraq overflights and embargoes, try to lobby or buy off others who might offer the Americans regional basing, like the Turks or Jordanians.

Step 5. Along with this, work to disentangle western, especially American, economic leverage over the economies of Muslim countries. Apply economic punishment and isolation as long as there is US aid for Israel. Also, use funds to support Hamas and other anti-Israeli guerrilla forces deemed worthy of support.

Step 6. Replace the US aid programs for Jordan, Egypt and even Turkey with subsidies for those governments if they begin to Islamize like Pakistan and ultimately the Taliban, or to sponsor coups and revolutions in the streets.

Step 7. For intercivilizational dick-measuring purposes, still construct towers higher than any in the west.

Seems pretty straightforward, doesn't it?
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