It has also been argued that Thalib's efforts to distance himself from al-Qaeda and anything related to it were made in the context of the September 11 terror attacks when the Indonesian government exerted strong pressure on Laskar Jihad not to exploit anti-American sentiment.
Mereka juga berpendapat bahwa upaya Thalib menjauhkan dirinya dari al-Qaeda dan segala hal tentang al-Qaeda berkaitan dengan efek serangan 11 September ketika pemerintah Indonesia memaksa Laskar Jihad untuk tidak memanfaatkan sentimen anti-Amerika Serikat.