Is Al Qaeda Decapitating Western Democracies?

Al Qaeda's attack on the offices of the Charlie Hebdo Magazine in Paris has sent ripples of fear throughout the French Republic and other Western powers. Media organizations in Europe and the United States have been effectively deterred from parodying the prophet Mohammed for fear of deadly retribution. National Security's Dan Diker, Bassem Eid, and Dr. Amichai Magen of the Interdisciplenary Center's International Institute for Counter Terrorism, criticize Western states for self-censorship while admitting that Al Qaeda may be winning in their war of terror against the West. Dr. Magen warns that Western democracies risk self-destruction if they fail to protect the guiding principle of freedom of speech.

Plus, Diker and Eid assess the Palestinian Authority's political warfare strategy of bringing suit against Israel for war crimes at the International Criminal Court.