As a retired U.S. service member and non-Muslim ...but one who has been active on the Pak Tribune site for four years...I can comment that the great counterfit Jihad that was laid on Islam by Osama and Aymin(later) is predicated on a flawed foundation as outlined within holy Qu'ran!
Oh...he (OBL) attempted to set the stage for what he belived would be viewed as a legit Jihad, replete with bogus FATWAS and subjegated(ideologically) Clerics...to do this he needed to draw the U.S. into the region, as well as other western powers, that's what 9/11 was all about!
Iraq, an unquallified mistake by the Bush administration was simply an added bonus for Al-Qaida!
Jihad, as referred to by the Prophet(PBUH) and within the holy Qu'ran...is most oft referred too and defined as the internal struggle that a person wages between the forces of good and evil!
When "external" Jihad is referred too...it is always with caveats that pertain to reasons and manner in which it may, and may not be waged!
"Anyone" reviewing the tactics and strategy of AQ, and like minded so called "Global Jihadi" organizations, can, if honest, easily deduce that the actions of AQ...in any theater in which they operate...are tactics and actions clearly prohibited by the tennents regarding what is allowable in waging Jihad, according to holy Qu'ran!
Now, many would state that the Taliban and AQ are not connected. Regarding the Afghani Taliban that is partially true...regarding Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan that is incorrect totally.
I would like to talk about the split between Mullah Omar and OBL and the resulting splintering of Haqqani Network from Omar's movement within Pakistan (or) the creation of TTP in 2007 by AQ and in which the Pashtoon in NWF/Waziristan and FATA were duped by AQ and then later brutalized by Baitullah(himself an AQ man)..but time does not permit today...I will return though later...promise!