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Al Qaeda's dream is take over an oil nation by proxy to serve as base and to finance global jihad. Eventually, they hope to gain legitimacy as a political party, much like what Hezbollah has done in Lebanon.
Hezbollah is a case study on how a terrorist organization can eventually gain legitimacy. The military side power is only one component; it's not enough just to kill the enemy and then step out and hope that what emerges will be friendly - because it won't be. Hezbollah took a page from our 20th century playbook and realized that winning the hearts and minds and providing essential services to people who would otherwise go without builds lasting alliances in ways that you can't with force alone. Africa, as a direct result of Bush's largess, is one place where we have made friends and improved our global standing.
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