The negative consequences of this mistaken vision very quickly became apparent. It is now widely known that the US government, perhaps partly unconsciously, embraced a deeply distorted image of al-Qaeda that portrayed it as a hierarchical organization with a seamless command structure – the prototype of a foe that the American army could attack and destroy.
这种错误愿景所带来的消极后果很快便显现出来。现在一个广为人知的事实就是美国政府很可能无意识地（在一定程度上）接受了“基地”是一个有着严密指挥体系的，等级森严的恐怖组织的形象—这正是一个美国军队可以攻击并摧毁的敌人原型。