al Qaeda
a case study in ideological
terrorism
BIG IDEA
al-Qaeda is the single greatest terrorist
threat to the U.S.
al-Qaeda covers the spectrum of types
of terrorism
Ideological
State-sponsored
Narco terrorism
National liberation
BIG IDEA
al-Qaeda is especially threatening to
the U.S. because it has become
stateless
Without a country to attack
Without a central location
Loosely-knit group - bound by an idea
al-Qaeda: Ideological
Overview
ISLaM = submission to God
MuSLiM = one who submits to God
SaLaaM = peace
If you submit to God, you will achieve
peace
Some believe they must fight those that
disrupt peace
You Say al-Qaeda, I Say al-Qaida
al-Qaeda = “the base”
al-Qaeda-al-Jihad = “the base of the
jihad”
The World Islamic Front for Jihad
against the Jews and Crusaders
al-Qaeda: Ideological
Overview
Multinational, militant Islamist org.
established by Osama bin Laden in 1988
Current goal: to work with allied Islamist
groups to overthrow corrupt regimes and
evict Westerners and non-Muslims from
Muslim countries in order to establish a
pan-Islamic Caliphate
al-Qaeda: Ideological
Overview
Goals and Objectives of Jihad
Establishing the rule of God on earth
Attaining martyrdom in the cause of
God
Purification of the ranks of Islam from
the elements of depravity QuickTime™ an d a
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al-Qaeda: Ideological
Overview
February, 1998 - issued a fatwa,
calling on Muslims to kill U.S.
citizens - civilian/military - and
their allies everywhere
9/11/01 - attacks on America
result in war in Afghanistan to
destroy al Qaeda’s bases and
overthrow the Taliban
Age-old Ideology
al-Qaeda’s ideology not new -
justifications for jihad rooted in the
Qur’an
Inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood
al-Qaeda = most recent manifestation
VIDEO CLIP - ORIGINS OF AL-
QAEDA
Origins of al-Qaeda
1980s: Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
inspire “mujahideen” to fight the jihad
gather from all over to fight USSR b/c
disrupting peace in Afghanistan
young + religious
fight “godless” communists
defeat of communists + collapse of
USSR
OBL = rising leader, parts ways
Chronology: Snowball Effect
1988: OBL forms al-Q, looks for new jihads
1990: offers al-Q to defend Saudi Arabia
from Saddam in Kuwait, rejected for U.S.
U.S. presence in S.A. = MUST FIGHT U.S.
Chronology: Snowball Effect
1991: OBL kicked out of S.A. - to Sudan
al-Q‟s base of operations 1991-1996
Teams up with Ayman al-Zawahiri
Idea = evict U.S. from M.E.
Search for nukes?
Organize attacks
Chronology: Snowball Effect
Feb. 1993: WTC bombed, 6 die, 1000+
injured
Oct. 1993: Black Hawk down in Somalia,
trained by al-Q, 18 servicemen dead
Chronology: Snowball Effect
May 1996: OBL forced to leave Sudan
Afghanistan - new base of operations
June 1996: U.S. military base
in S.A. bombed,
19 servicemen
killed
Chronology: Snowball Effect
Feb. 1998: OBL issues “fatwa” - kill U.S.
Aug. 1998: embassy bombings in Kenya,
Tanzania, 220+ people killed, U.S.
retaliates
Chronology: Snowball Effect
Oct. 2000: USS Cole attacked, killing 17
Sept. 2001: Worst Day Ever, R.I.P. 3000+
al-Q’s climax
U.S. retaliated
Disrupted al-Q
network
Tactics, Strategies, and
Targets
Tactics: assassination, bombing,
hijacking, kidnapping, suicide attacks,
etc.
Strategies: developing surrogates,
alliances, seeking WMDs
Targets: prominent symbols of U.S.
wealth and military dominance
Ideologically Justified
Killing?
“The undersigned, leaders of Islamic movements,
are horrified by the events of 9/11 in the U.S.,
which resulted in massive killing, destruction &
attack on innocent lives. We express our
deepest sympathies & sorrow. We condemn, in
the strongest terms, the incidents, which are
against all human & Islamic norms. This is
grounded in the Noble Laws of Islam, which
forbid all forms of attacks on innocents. God
Almighty says in the Holy Quran: „No bearer of
burdens can bear the burden of another‟ (Surah
al-Isra 17:15).”
Ideological Debate
Salafi = “proper” religious adherence to
strict moral code of Prophet Mohammed
Implied other understandings are corrupt
Most believe in non-violent means of
supporting Islam
Small radical fringe - violent means
Ideological Debate
al-Qaeda: “America started the war…”
Supporters of non-violent response to
U.S. are corrupt, and thus not credible
U.S. waging war against Islam,
therefore “defensive jihad”
Killing civilians allowed in current
climate
Ideological Debate
Justified Jihad?
Offensive jihad - not widely accepted
Defensive jihad - religious duty, just
cause par excellance
Post 9/11
al-Qaeda losing the ideological debate
Attacks on WTC seen as offensive by
Muslim community
Ideological Debate
Post U.S. invasion of Iraq:
Confluence of opinion
Mainstream Islamic scholars, al-Qaeda
united in call for defensive jihad
Iraq = chaotic, breeding ground for
terror
al-Qaeda + Hezbollah
U.S. Response
Has largely been a “police” operation
Capture and detain terrorists, rather
than going after the source of terrorism
Ideology??
Are we giving OBL credibility?
Will catching OBL make a difference?
BIG IDEA
The U.S. response has recently come
under question (CIA, Michael Scheuer)
for supposed mistakes in the War on
Terror.
More and more, invading Iraq seems to
be