Al-Qaeda

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Al-Qaeda
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• Islamic fundamentalism is a construction based on
  the proclaimed primacy of religious identity
• Political Islamism is a political ideology, based
  on Islamic fundamentalism, which aims to seize
  power in the nation-state
• The movement symbolically represented by Al-Qaeda
  is a different kind of movement ? It is based on
  Islamic fundamentalism but is explicitly global. 

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February 23rd 1998

• Osama bin Laden establishes the World Islamic
  Front for the Jihad Against Jews and the
  Crusaders? a fundamentalist, terrorist, global
  network
• Origins can be traced to the CIA-financed
  training camps for anti-Soviet mujahedeen in
  Pakistan? today extends to at least 65 countries
  and numerous autonomous groups 

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The values and goals 

• The building of the umma 
• Muslim societies should be ruled by shari'a law
  (The Taliban regime came closest to the Islamic
  ideals espoused by bin Laden)
• Bin Laden and al-Qaeda are not preoccupied by the
  kind of society they want to build ("pragmatic
  militants")

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The values and goals 

• The defense of Islam starts with the defense of
  the holy sites in Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem
• Martyrdom
• No negotiation, no surrender, no way out

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Islamic global terror networks rely on two main
tactics of action

• 1. Terror--gtthe expectation is that over time the
  institutions of democratic states crumble under
  the collective fear (al-Qaeda aims at the heart
  of Westerners)
• 2. Media politics--gttransforming consciousness is
  the ultimate goal (al-Qaeda aims at the mind
  oppressed Muslims)

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The dream

• They hope for An unreasonable response from the
  West--gtinflame the rotten world--gtnew society
  from the ashes

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Who are the adversaries? 

• The political regimes of Muslim countries (pawns
  of the Crusaders)
• Zionists 
• The U.S. (and other Western powers)

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Six stages of development

• 1. Resistance to Soviet occupation of Afghanistan
  (1979)
• 2. Militants return home and engage in
  political-military battles against their own
  national governments
• 3. First direct attacks by al-Qaeda (1993 in NYC)
• 4. Concentrated on supporting movements in
  countries where a power base could be achieved
  (Sudan/ Afghanistan)
• 5. al-Qaeda moves toward open confrontation with
  the U.S. (embassy bombings in Nairobi and Dar es
  Salaam, USS Cole bombing in Aden, 9/11)
• 6. U.S. destroys the Taliban regime, obliterates
  the basis of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, bin-Laden
  killed, many associated networks emerge around
  the world (inc in the U.S.)

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Who are the members of al-Qaeda?

• They come from a number of ethnic and national
  groups (very few Palestinians)
• The nucleus was formed in camps
• Young (20s and 30s), male
• The core group of al-Qaeda come from wealthy
  families

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Who are the members of al-Qaeda?

• Many are highly educated professionals (the core
  group of 9/11 attackers were engineering
  students)
• The military commanders mostly trained in
  national military academies 

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The structure 

• Networking is critical--gtcore leadership but no
  control center
• Cells are largely autonomous

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• al-Qaeda provides training and indoctrination 
• Fighting principle string as hard as you can,
  anytime and anywhere you can, all Westerners are
  potential targets, as are symbolic points of
  connection between Muslim societies and
  non-believers (airports, multi-national corporate
  facilities, tourism centers)
• Nation-specific organizations fight against the
  states that oppress true-Muslims in their own
  countries

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Establishing new networks

• bin Laden helped establish most active network in
  the world today Jamaah Islamiyah in South East
  Asia 

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Chechnya

• A secular, ethnic-nationalist struggle against
  Russia becomes an Islamic struggle
• Rebels receive training and money from al-Qaeda 
• For bin Laden, the Chechen struggle was simply a
  continuation of the fight against Russians in
  Afghanistan
• The dual character of local struggles and global
  networking is the essence of al-Qaeda's strategy

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