Al-Qaeda

1. Al-Qaeda

2. 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. 

3. 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 

4. 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")

5. 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

6. Islamic global terror networks rely on two main tactics of action: 1. Terror-->the 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-->transforming consciousness is the ultimate goal (al-Qaeda aims at the mind oppressed Muslims)

7. The dream • They hope for: An unreasonable response from the West-->inflame the rotten world-->new society from the ashes

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

9. 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.)

10. 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

11. 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 

12. The structure  • Networking is critical-->core leadership but no control center • Cells are largely autonomous

13. 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

14. Establishing new networks • bin Laden helped establish most active network in the world today: Jamaah Islamiyah in South East Asia 

15. 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