Al Qaeda on the move

There’s a fascinating story in the New York Times today about how some al Qaeda terrorists are moving from the tribal areas of Pakistan to Somalia and Yemen. The key question is why are they doing this, is it because Pakistan has become a less hospitable place for them both because of US drone strikes and the Pakistani government’s change in attitude. Or is it because, the totally failed state in Somalia and the failing state in Yemen and the jihadi campaigns there make them them even more appealing places for terrorists than the bad lands of Pakistan. In other words, is the movement a sign of progress in the struggle against al Qaeda or not.

One also wonders what the meaning of this is:

“What really has us worried is that they’re communicating with each other much more — Al Qaeda in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen,” the senior military officer said.