...Al-Qaeda From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search al-Qaeda القاعدة Participant in the Persian Gulf War, the Global War on Terrorism, the War in Afghanistan, the Iraq War, and the Syrian Civil War Active 1988-present Ideology Sunni Islamism[1][2] Islamic fundamentalism[3] Takfirism[4] Pan-Islamism Worldwide Caliphate[5][6][7][8][9] Qutbism Wahhabism[10] Salafist Jihadism[11][12] Leaders Abdullah Yusuf Azzam (1988-1989) Osama bin Laden (1989-2011) Ayman al-Zawahiri (2011-present) Area of operations Worldwide (predominantly in the Middle East) Strength In Afghanistan – 50–100[13] In Egypt –Unknown In Iraq – 2,500[14] In the Maghreb – 300–800 In Nigeria –Unknown In Pakistan – 300[15] In Philippines – Unknown In Saudi Arabia – Unknown In Somalia – Unknown In Syria Unknown In Thailand -Unknown In Yemen –500–600[16] Allies Taliban Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan East Turkestan Islamic Movement Al-Shabaab Islamic Courts Union (dis) Jundallah Lashkar-e-Taiba Jaish-e-Mohammed Jemaah Islamiyah Boko Haram Abu Sayyaf Iraqi insurgents Caucasus Emirate FARC[17][18] Syria (alleged)[19][20] Qatar (alleged)[21] Opponents United States of America Israel International Security Assistance Force Syria Iran Afghanistan Pakistan Turkey Yemen Egypt Algeria Colombia Al-Qaeda...
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...In what ways, if any, has globalization transformed the phenomenon of terrorism? Introduction The idea of terrorism has not always been as it is today. The word “terror” originated after the French Revolution and the word “terrorism” was subsequently recorded by the Académie Française in 1798 (Roberts 2002). The regime of “la Terreur” was one of force and bloody repression against opponents to the newly born French Republic, but since the 19th century, terrorism has come to designate a method of opposition used by small groups (Tilly 2004, 8-9) “against the legitimacy of the prevailing sovereign power” (Scruton 2002, 126). As Barkawi (2006, 129) aptly puts across “‘terror’ is often used as a weapon by those who lack sufficient weapons to fight a military war, who believe their voices are not being heard and their desires bear no fruit”. Contrary to the French “terror”, “terrorism” is then no longer a practice of the State; it is that of radical groups opposing the State, and it is mainly the State that gives them this name (Townshend 2002, 3); the names these groups give themselves are in relation to a cause they see as legitimate. Such causes have arisen in numerous places, prompting some to take extreme but in their minds justified action, and Europe has faced terrorist threats long before the 9/11 attacks, incarnated by the Irish Republican Army (IRA), the Basque Fatherland and Liberty group (ETA) in Spain or the Red Brigades in Italy, to name only a few (Barkawi...
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...limited to: Bombing, hijacking, cross border terrorist activities and massacres on a massive scale, in addition to many others not listed. Its consequences are very frightening. Though much effort is put into eliminating terrorism, it is impossible to get rid of it until some strict laws are devised. Whenever and wherever society is victim to brutality, injustice, wrongs and intolerance, terrorism cannot be eradicated. There are many terrorist groups out there, of many different origins and sects. The group that will be discussed is Al Qaeda, which is the most well-known out of the groups listed. The questions and statements that will be answered and debated are: 1.) A brief explanation of Al Qaeda and the summarization of its origins, 2.) Al Qaeda's major motivations, (beliefs or causes), and/or the justifications for engaging in terrorism, 3.) Al Qaeda's major source of both financial and non-financial support, 4.) The evaluation of the importance of Al Qaeda's use of the media, the image being portrayed, and the preferred method of communication for the group, 5.) The determination whether or not the group has a legitimate complaint or...
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...the United States (9/11) and Great Britain (the July 7 London Bombings) but also with any nation and organization that is seen as an ally of such nations. ESICS Briefing on THE TERRORISM THREAT LINKED TO THE LIBYAN CRISIS states “obviously on the top of the list of likely targets for Colonel Gaddafi are the United Kingdom and France, they are closely followed by the United States (an old and usual enemy of Libya but also by the Arab countries taking part in the coalition, every single national participating in the operations could be seen as a legitimate target.” In stating this the point that I am making is, although , we must take into concideration that Current Situation: STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT Emerging Terrorist Networks “As al-Qaeda has syndicated its ideology and violence, its affiliates and adherents in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula...
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...Executive Summary After Osama Bin Laden was killed by a U.S. military raid in Pakistan, his aides have followed his footsteps and started their own branch of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). This organization was formed in January 2009 through a union of the Saudi and Yemeni branches of al-Qaeda (Masters, Jonathan. 2012). This fairly new group has the closest components and core, associated with Bin Laden’s former Al-Qaeda network. With the country of Yemen unstable, this organization looks to overtake the country with new recruits and spread their cause to its borders and beyond, from their stronghold in the southern part of the country. The AQAP’s primary goals are to try and bring down a United States airliner, spread Islamic Law, and continue to draw out a long fight forcing America to slow the economy by spending its money on security for the nation. Fighters arriving back to Yemen from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan bring their experiences and provide valuable training to the new recruits. Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, mastermind of bomb making, has almost made all of his devices come to life. By gathering intelligence and focus overtime, we know more about how potentially deadly and a threat this organization is to the United States. Current operations with drone surveillance and strikes are trying to take out this organization’s operatives. Imbedded agents are trying to gather information on the ground to try and foil the next plot. The United States has been...
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...Al Qaeda Aims at the American Homeland “Jihad against the Americans,” Bin Laden addressed in the 9/11 Commission Report. It is the official report of the events leading up to the September 11, 2001 attacks. Bin Ladin was not the first to introduce this plan to attack the twin towers; the organization and origins of the 9/11 plot was created by three subordinate commanders: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM), Riduan Isamuddin (known as Hambali), and Abd al Rahim al Nashiri. Most of the attention and ideas were from the chief manager of the “planes operation,” Khalid Sheikh Mohammad. Khalid Sheikh Mohammad (KSM) was the principal designer of the September 11th attacks. He followed a tortuous path and eventually became a member of Al Qaeda. He has plenty of tortuous ideas that included; conventional car bombing, political assassinations, aircraft bombing, hijacking, reservoir poisoning and ultimately, the use of aircraft as missiles guided by suicide operatives. KSM was born on March 1, 1964 or April 1, 1965 in the Baluchistan region of Pakistan. KSM was raised in Kuwait and joined the Muslim Brotherhood at age 16. He was highly educated and pursued a degree in mechanical engineering from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in 1986. After graduation, KSM and his brother went to Afghanistan to resist the Soviet Invasion in the late 1980s. During this time, he began anti-American terrorist operations. Between 1988 and 1992, KSM helped run a nongovernmental organization...
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...Al-Shabaab Profile Al-Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahidden (al Shabaab) is a designated terrorist organisation (National Counterterrorism Centre, 2013) and part of al Qaeda, which operates in Somalia aiming to establish an Islamic Somali state(Atwan, 2013 pp.111-114). Al-Shabaab would want to meet clandestinely with the pirates. Al-Shabaab’s need for financing, and al Qaeda’s emphasis on finding local sources, means that al-Shabaab supports pirates in exchange for receiving a portion of the pirates’ ransoms (Atwan, pp.121-126). Ports and maritime access are essential for piracy and al-Shabaab can use this as leverage for further collaboration (Akhgar, 2013 p.42). The failed US attack on an al-Shabaab Barawe stronghold and al-Shabaab’s subsequent deployment of beach defences are demonstrative of the advantages of operating out of al-Shabaab controlled ports and evidence of al-Shabaab’s ability to withstand attacks by foreign forces (Ahmed et al., 2013). When meeting with the pirates, al-Shabaab could ask for control of the AusAID/WFP food shipment and future pirate food hauls. Over 3 million people are reliant on aid in Somalia (Atwan, p.118) and the food could be used to restore Somali faith in al-Shabaab, lost after recent al-Shabaab attacks. Food supplies could provide incentive for recruitment to the al-Shabaab cause if distributed in Somalia, or in the Somali populated areas of Kenya and Ethiopia. Al-Shabaab would not meet with aid agencies such as the WFP. The WFP was ‘banned’...
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...Agasi 9/21/2009 The Importance of the Afghanistan Foreign Policy World affairs today, include the conflict with Al-Qaeda as an Islamic fundamentalist organization in the world. As a result of the terrorist action on the world trade center by Islamic extremists, the Bush administrations reaction was to attempt to quell the source of the attacks on the United States. The original idea being that it would be possible to neutralize this threat wherever they live. This resulted in the war declared by the former president, which has continued to the present day. Financing the war, with little help from our allies has been very costly, while pursuing an almost unilateral approach. Our current administration with president Obama, has encouraged our allies to take on a greater share of the responsibility to fight Al-Qaeda at the same time as we transfer Iraq’s security back to the Iraqi people. However, with the current state of affairs, it is important that the United States foreign policy continues to support the fight for the security of the people of Afghanistan. The security of the world is threatened by militant islamic factions such as Al Queda. Mr. President, the popularity of the war within the United States may have lost much of its appeal to the American people, and we could just vacate the previous administrations efforts to fight Taliban extremists in Afghanistan. This however, is not in...
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...(Name) (Tutor) (Course) (Date) Geopolitical Brinksmanship: The Psychology of Leaders and the Dangerous Leadership Paths Personality plays a huge role in shaping the social, as well as, the political behavior of leaders around the world. This has been highly demonstrated through recent events around the world such as the 9/11 twin bombing attacks, the soviet demise, and the war in Iraq. For an individual to understand how and why certain events occur in the country, it is essential to assess mannerisms of prominent world leaders. At the moment, everyone around the world feels the need to understand and find out the underlying motivation of the admirable and not so admirable leaders. This analysis receives support from the evaluation of the downfall in political positions and failures of leaders, who not only destroy the political position of their country, but also destroy the lives of their people. The presence of high –tech industries and weapons of all kinds have given many people dynamic power and, therefore, bringing the focus of why it is important to understand the behaviors of leaders based on their personalities. This essay will evaluate the psychology of leaders using examples from three different books, and drawing examples from a variety of prominent leaders. Post, for instance, presents psychological theories that surround the lives of leaders and some terrorists. He focuses on discussing essential issue such as the effects of age and illness on...
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...nowhere near its end. This study is an exploration of the question whether war is the solution or the problem? Key Words: War on Terror, World Response, Pakistan’s Contribution, Operations, Agreements. Background P akistan has always played a constructive role in the United Nations (UN) — it is one of its largest net troop contributors and its active role in the solution of world issues is internationally recognized. It borders three major strategic regions; South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East, and its geographical proximity to Afghanistan has made it an important partner of the United States. Pakistan has played a significant role, both during the Cold War and as a non-NATO member in the US-led “War on Terror” against al Qaeda and the Taliban. After 9/11 terrorism became a serious problem in international relations. It was the first time in recent history that the US had been confronted with such a huge disaster on its own soil. Maintaining internal security and protecting its global interests became a...
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...Terrorism and Homeland Defense Fundamentals Weekly Assignment 3.2 Part One: 1. Describe the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine in 1947. For two years after the end of WWII, the world was in constant flux. New countries and boundaries were being drawn and one of the most contested and controversial was the creation of an Israeli/ Palestinian state. The Learning Network (2011) states the following: On Nov. 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for Palestine to be partitioned between Arabs and Jews, allowing for the formation of the Jewish state of Israel. Since 1917, Palestine had been under the control of Britain, which supported the creation of a Jewish state in the holy land. Sympathy for the Jewish cause grew during the genocide of European Jews during the Holocaust. In 1946, the Palestine issue was brought before the newly created United Nations, which drafted a partition plan. The plan, which organized Palestine into three Jewish sections, four Arab sections and the internationally-administered city of Jerusalem, had strong support in Western nations as well as the Soviet Union. It was opposed by Arab nations. US Central Intelligence Agency (para. 1-3) 2. Why do you think that Palestinian terrorists concentrate on soft targets? The concentration on soft targets is a result of the need to draw attention of a global audience that is increasingly challenging to traumatize, the growing sophistication of the terrorists...
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...(Intellectual Takeout , 2014) During the 1990s, the end of the cold war led to an entirely new global security environment, marked by a focus on internal rather than inter-state wars. In the early 21st century, new global threats emerged. The attacks of 11 September 2001 on the United States clearly demonstrated the challenge of international terrorism, while subsequent events heightened concern about the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the dangers from other non-conventional weapons. The organizations of the UN system mobilized immediately in their respective spheres to step up action against terrorism. On 28 September, the Security Council adopted resolution 1373, under the enforcement provisions of the UN Charter, to prevent the financing of terrorism, criminalize the collection of funds for such purposes, and immediately freeze terrorist financial assets. It also established a Counter-Terrorism Committee to oversee the resolution’s implementation. (UNITED NATION ,...
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...them with knowledge and skills which helped them provoking more important attacks. All those aspects contribute to Boko Haram’s growth and remaining though it is difficult to verify as all the funding and transactions are informal. Some experts state that it is a domestic phenomenon, others that it is a transnational phenomenon because of its links with groups such as Al Qaeda. It has some transnational aspects related to training, recruitment, weapons, but it remains, on the whole, a domestic issue, sometimes crossing the...
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...Another reason to support drone strikes is their cost. Compared to financing a Special Forces mission like Neptune Spear, drone strikes are cheap. While specific costs of Special Forces missions and drone strikes are not available, it is possible to estimate their costs and compare it to a special forces mission. The basic pay for an average member of the US Special Forces, or US Air Force is around $43,000. According to the Friends Committee on National Legislation, the average cost per hour of flying a Predator drone is $3500 plus the salary of a pilot. Therefore, the cost of a drone missions can be estimated around $200,000. It is estimated that Neptune Spear involved around 20 Special Forces mission, and add to it this the cost of complex logistics involved in planning and executing Special Force’s mission. It is clear that the cost of a Special Force’s mission exceed the cost of a drone strike....
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...Contemplating Realities and Paradoxes in the Global War on Terror John B. Alexander, Ph.D. Introduction The approach of this monograph is to examine paradoxes encountered in the Global War on Terror (GWOT). The intent is to spark debate on disputatious issues. Clearly, many of the existing situations appear intractable given the emotional investment that has been made by the public, and exacerbated by political manipulation of elected officials. Also unavoidable are the fiscal constraints that are becoming increasingly binding. Examined in Section One are problematic premises related to the four fundamental approaches to countering terrorism; increased security, eliminating the terrorists, attacking the support infrastructure, and altering conditions that breed discontent. Despite trite, albeit politically popular, commentary proposing those methods, execution of those concepts is extremely difficult, often controversial, and sometimes counterproductive. Section Two of this monograph addresses several other policy decisions that generate problems that are difficult to resolve, but directly impact the forces involved. Among those topics are; roles of contractors, individual loyalties versus national interests, alliances of convenience, foreign response to our policy on preemption of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), the consequences of our stated objective of spreading democracy, the impact of U.S. presence in the Gulf region, and quandary associated with defining...
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