This edition of the NPR talk show The Connection is guest hosted by All Things Considered co-host Robert Siegel while the tiresome Dick Gordon is away. It consists of a conversation between Rohan Gunaratna (author of Inside Al-Qaeda, research fellow at the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, University of St. Andrews) and Andrew Higgins (Moscow Bureau Chief, Wall Street Journal). Essentially, Gunaratna finds Al-Qaeda to be a scarily disciplined tightly organized organization with worldwide reach and impeccable strategy and resources which has not been diminished but, indeed, strengthened by the dismantling of its Afghan training camps. . Higgins, who analyzed the Al-Qaeda computer which came into the WSJ‘s possession, contends they are an “almost shambolic”, largely ineffectual ragtag movement, if an organization by that name even exists. Uhh, would it be fair to say that the truth certainly lies somewhere in between?? The quality of the listener calls struck me as particularly lame, especially the woman who “greatly appreciate(s) and agree(s) with your experts.” As for the promised “prescription for combatting the first multinational terrorist organization,” Gunaratna suggests that we should promote educational reform and strengthen the political and economic hand of the moderates in Arab countries to counter Islamist influence, which I find a dubious premise. Higgins agrees on the educational reform…