Premium Essay

Tracking Al Qaeda Since 9/11

In:

Submitted By ronisgenius
Words 1510
Pages 7
Tracking al Qaeda Since 9/11
NAME
SCHOOL
Author Note
(text).

Tracking al Qaeda Since 9/11
Al Qaeda is a ubiquitous organization in the world today; it exists and operates on multiple continents, it has more funding than some small countries, it has ties and tacit support from state governments. This essay seeks to describe the pre 9/11 al Qaeda and compare that to the al Qaeda that we know and love (to hate) today.
Background
al Qaeda is a Sunni Islamist terrorist organization that operates across the world, but is based out of and concentrates on attacks in the Middle East, Northern Africa and a smaller condensed affiliate in the Philippines. Al Qaeda is responsible for attacks in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. In today’s world of the Global War on Terrorism and seemingly un-ending technological surveillance means, al Qaeda, by definition as a terrorist organization must be a secret one or face immediate destruction at the hands of any number of governments. The following sections will discuss the structure, strengths, and weaknesses of al Qaeda as it has changed from September 2001 to today.
Structure
Pre 9/11: Al Qaeda was very typically structured as a hierarchical organization circa 2001. It had a small leadership cell with different organizational cells below it like security and recruiting. Some descriptions include as many as 4 levels of organization (Tucker, 2008). While the lines of al Qaeda’s hierarchy were much less clear in actuality than they are on any paper depiction of the network, it was, for all intents and purposes, a hierarchical, top-down organization. The central leadership cell was headed by Osama bin Laden, a charismatic millionaire who began his career with fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan. The leaders had control over when and where attacks took place, and al Qaeda affiliation was clear, membership was

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Changes in Aviation Since 9/11

...Changes in Aviation Since 9/11 Attacks Kristopher Preston Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Changes in Aviation Since 9/11 Attacks Introduction The September 11th terror attacks were a sequence of four attacks by al-Qaeda terrorists on the United States. They were carried out by al-Qaeda, an Islamic terrorist group. The terrorist attacks were launched in New York City and in the metropolitan area in Washington D.C on Tuesday, 11 September 2001. 19 al-Qaeda terrorists commandeered four planes and flew them into buildings in suicide attacks. Among the planes that were hijacked, were United Airlines Flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 11. These planes were crashed into the South and North towers of the World Trade center, respectively. American Airlines Flight 77 was crashed into the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, widely known as The Pentagon. The fourth plane was United Airlines Flight 93. Despite being targeted at Washington, D.C, its passengers tried to overcome the hijackers and ended up being crashed into an open field in Pennsylvania. The attacks killed approximately 3000 people. Among them included all 19 hijackers and the 227 passengers who were aboard the four planes. The 9/11 terrorist attacks are considered the most fatal case for firefighters in United States history. The bipartisan Commission was given the mandate of researching and presenting its conclusions, findings and recommendations that would ensure that a similar scenario...

Words: 3068 - Pages: 13

Free Essay

International Relations

...Introduction: Afghanistan has a history of a high degree of decentralization, and resistance to foreign invasion and occupation. Some have termed it the “graveyard of empires.” Afghanistan is a landlocked country that is located approximately in the center of Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan in the south and east. Since the late 1970s Afghanistan has suffered brutal civil war in addition to foreign interventions in the form of the 1979 Soviet invasion and the 2001 U.S. invasion. The strategic interests of the great powers of the day in Afghanistan pitched against the potential threat of terrorism, religious extremism, smuggling and drug trafficking substantiates the assertion that Afghan security situation has the potential to generate effects far beyond its borders. Afghanistan had experienced several coups since 1973, when the Afghan monarchy was overthrown by Daud Khan, who was sympathetic to Soviet overtures. Subsequent coups reflected struggles within Afghanistan among factions with different ideas about how Afghanistan should be governed and whether it should be communist, and with degrees warmth toward the Soviet Union. The Soviets intervened following the overthrow of a pro-communist leader. In late December 1979, after several months of evident military preparation, they invaded Afganistan. At that time, the Soviet Union and the United States were engaged in the Cold War, a global competition for the fealty of other nations. The United States was, thus, deeply interested...

Words: 5184 - Pages: 21

Premium Essay

Operation Winter Harvest Case Study

...(Smith 2006, 38) The operations that were conducted shortly after Operation Winter Harvest, further led to expansion in one area where the CIA had limited capability. The events that took place in Operation Winter Harvest led to a key development that the CIA could not begin to attempt to utilize. The cooperation between the Activity’s SIGINT operators and Aircraft led to the ability to collect a level of intelligence that the CIA could not provide to the allies in Nicaragua to counter the Sandinista rebels. (Skelly 2008, 5) Under the Nunn-Cohen Amendment, the SOCOM operational capability was expanded to what exactly the CIA could do in terms of Intelligence Collection. (Kibbe 2007, 59) HUMINT had initially fell under the purview of the CIA since its beginning as the Office of Strategic Services.(Richelson 1997,2) But what had occurred during Operation Eagle Claw prompted the DOD to initiate its own collection capability to fulfill the gaps that were presented by the lack of assets by the CIA. The USISA had continued to prove itself as a sole collection entity that would rival the CIA by greater means, from capability to technological advances. What was seen during the conflict in Grenada, was another great deal of issues when it came to intelligence that was able to be provided to the Delta operators and even the US Army Rangers and Navy SEALS who would subsequently need it during another hostage situation. The ISA had limited involvement when it came to the support that was able...

Words: 1219 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

History

...How Terrorism Has Affected The United States Stephanie Boone Ryan Tarr University of Phoenix History 145 June 9, 2013 Terrorism is the act of intimidating persons using ways of violence as a way to look for attention but there has been a problem in defining, as there was a problem in differentiating terrorism with activities involved with violence and actions by the military. The phenomenon has become a major concern for the American public and was elevated by the Reagan administration to the foremost foreign policy problem of the nation and the public considers terrorism to be a greater threat than driving on the freeway or even nuclear war. America also continues to be relatively free of the threat of domestic terrorism through the help of draconian anti-terrorist measures that many states endure, also the wholesale cancellation of airplane travel plans and even terrorist acts. The fact that people are so gripped by terrorism may actually serve to reinforce it, as one of terrorism purposes is to rivet the public’s attention and we may unfortunately say that terrorism is actually working. Terror is a process involving three steps: one is seeking...

Words: 1163 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Kaka

...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...

Words: 14678 - Pages: 59

Premium Essay

Course Research Paper

...Research Paper: Final On September 11, 2001, 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda, hijacked four American planes and executed pre-engineered terrorist attacks against various targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown directly into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. A third plane then hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, DC, and the fourth and final plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. Now referred to as 9/11, the attacks resulted in extensive destruction, over 3000 merciless deaths in New York City and Washington, and triggered the driving force behind major US initiatives to combat terrorism. Also, may view this horrific event as a defining moment in the presidency of George W. Bush. The first strike was on the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Flight 11, a Boeing 747 carrying 76,000 pounds of jet fuel and 92 passengers, was overtaken by five Arabic passengers, that was later discovered to have worked directly with al-Qaida leader, Osama bin Laden to both plan and give life to this attack. At 7:40 am the flight departed from Boston as normal, the flight maintained its course for the first thirteen minutes. Following this, the crew was not acknowledging communications with the FAA. Several attempts were made to communicate with the crew but no reply was received, with the exception of the sound of static and was thought to be a scream. Connection was finally made at 8:18am to Cary, North Carolina...

Words: 4158 - Pages: 17

Free Essay

Pakistan Contribution to Global War on Terrorism

...IPRI Journal XIII, on 1 (Winter 9/11 Pakistan’s Contribution to Global War no. Terror after2013): 37-56   37   PAKISTAN’S CONTRIBUTION TO GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR AFTER 9/11 Dr. Hidayat Khan∗ Abstract Pakistan’s contribution to the “War on Terror” far exceeds its strength and size. Pakistan lost more than 35000 lives to save American people from another 9/11 attack. Pakistan’s economic loss amounted to 67 billion US dollars but still the US is not satisfied with Pakistan’s performance and pressurizes it to “Do More.” In this situation what should Pakistan do as a sovereign state? At the same time what is the international community’s responsibility towards Pakistan as a partner in this global war? The United States (US) and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) have been fighting against the Taliban for the last decade but the war is 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...

Words: 8479 - Pages: 34

Free Essay

It and Terrorism

...[pic] [pic] THE INSTITUTE OF CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS OF INDIA SUBMITTED BY: PRITISH S. ROONGTA (GROUP LEADER) (09820456348) GROUP DETAILS |NAME |WRO NUMBER |CONTACT NUMBER | |PRITISH S. ROONGTA |WRO 0279357 |09820456348 | |RADHIKA R. PALKAR |WRO 0286747 |09833391122 | |RUTU A. SHAH |WRO 0278759 |09819033996 | |VINIT D. PATIL |WRO 0313142 |09819689616 | BATCH TIMING: 05.00 PM TO 09.00 PM BATCH COMMENCEMENT DATE: 6TH JULY 2009 CENTRE: RVG HOSTEL, ANDHERI (W) INDEX |Sr. No. |PARTICULARS |PAGE NO. | |1. |Internet And Terrorism |5 | |2. |Modern Terrorism And Internet ...

Words: 11580 - Pages: 47

Premium Essay

Terrorism of 21st Century

...and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes or in their offices: secretaries, businessmen and women, military and federal workers, moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror. The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, and -- huge structures collapsing have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong." George W. Bush Addressing the Nation on September 11, 2001. (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...

Words: 3124 - Pages: 13

Free Essay

Terrorism

... By Latisha Gant Table of Contents I. Introduction A. How has America’s Attitude toward terrorism changed after September 11, 20011 B. What are people and Government reactions to terrorism after 911? C. Why was America’s Protection Agency Homeland Security Formed? II. Balancing American Civil rights and Against Terrorism A. What is American Census and Attitude towards Terrorist Security Measures? B. What is the political thought of American’s civil right attitudes after 911? C. What is the impact of Post 911 terrorist event and Iraq War on civil rights and Terrorism? III. Recent Trends in Americans Excepting New Security Measures as a Way of Life A. What is the impact of terrorism on American and global way of Life? B. What are the disadvantages and advantages of heightened Homeland Security Measures? C. What do people fear terrorist attacks or civil rights infringements the most? V. Conclusion THESIS STATEMENT This research paper will focus on the balancing of the relationship between American civil rights and America’s fight against terrorism. Terrorism has changed the way we use public transportation, travel in airports and train stations, eat in hotels and restaurants see movies, almost everything we do can be attacked by terrorist in America today. Terrorism by terrorist like Bin Laden and Al-Quada have influenced American government planning to develop a new agency called Homeland Security and the planning of foreign policy...

Words: 1269 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Military Law

...Military Law Seminar Fall, 2014 Article The Influence of Social Media on Homegrown Terrorists and Balancing Data-mining Between Civil Liberties and National Security Julianne Grim [Insert Abstract] [The focus of this article will be narrowly tailored to include the most popular social media sites in the western world, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and how they are utilized by known terrorist organizations Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL)] I. The Developing World of Social Media Social media activity accounts for over 22 percent of all time spent online in the United States, making it the number one activity people do on the internet. However, the world of social media extends beyond Facebook Twitter and YouTube. Social networking sites are developing faster than they can be analyzed and popping up all over the world. But social media is not a new phenomenon either, people have been seeking out like minded individuals in online communities for nearly two decades. During the infancy stages of social media people logged onto forums, blogs, chat rooms etc. Each social media platform varies slightly from the next - allowing for different types of content to be generated - but each platform seeks to accomplish two goals; generating content and engaging with other interested people. Modern terrorists are taking advantage of the fruits of globalization and modern technology, especially advanced online communication technologies that are used to plan...

Words: 5398 - Pages: 22

Free Essay

Critical Thinking - Human Rights and Torture

...Strayer University | Critical Thinking Paper: Revised (Human Rights and War on Terror) | Lori Schumacher | Professor Dena HurstPHI 210 | Strayer University | 6/21/2013 | | How is torture defined? Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 says “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel; inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” Does imposing torture amongst terrorist detainees help the United States in fighting the war on terror? Al Qaeda started its war against America by carrying out the simultaneous bombings of our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in August 2008, the bombing of the USS Cole in October 2000 and what pulled the United States into the global war on terrorism, September 11, 2001. What I will be discussing will be the political atmosphere after September 11th and the roles of our government officials and intelligence agencies. America is supposed to be a country of human rights and not to inflict cruel and unusual punishment on criminals sentenced in our own penal system. Where have we as a nation fallen? I do not believe that torturing or using “enhanced interrogation techniques” will give us the upper hand in the global war on terror. Who ultimately authorized the United States to enter into torturing another human being? The United States became aware of abuses and torturing of detainees from the Abu Ghraib scandal in Afghanistan in April 2004. Detainees underwent serious mistreatment, torture...

Words: 1440 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Defeating Daesh

...Long-term Counter Strategies for the Proto-State and its Ideologies Christopher J. Minchin Norwich University FIRST DRAFT SOCI 401A Culture and Anthropology February 16, 2016 Tracey Poirier Source: The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the Critical Threats Project (CTP).), Jan, 2016. “If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles“ –– Sun Tzu, Chinese philosopher and military strategist, around 500 BC. “Our terrorism against America is blessed terrorism.” –– Osama bin Laden (on video) “The acme of this religion is jihad.” — Osama bin Laden (Bergen, 2001, p. 41) Many have asked, “what can we do to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS)? ” There have been a variety of suggestions from airstrikes, isolation , establishing a national unity government in Iraq to the feasibility of a counter-offensive using 'local' militia's and only as a last resort U.S. Boots on the ground. These are all worthy ideas; however, it is imperative to get a fundamental understanding of what has caused this problem because ISIS is growing and becoming stronger (even though current air strikes and counter-offensives have been successful). Before a decision can be made a rigorous analysis is necessary, a sociological analysis, so that the United States and the rest of the world can determine what must be done regarding ISIS and why. (Thesis): This paper will argue that the challenge of...

Words: 20913 - Pages: 84

Free Essay

Is the Government Justified in Involving Itself in the Private Lives of Citizens?

...Is government ever justified in involving itself in the private lives and personal decisions of its citizens? Why of why not? Yes, the government is always justified when immersing itself in the lives of its citizens, as the benefits of this practice will always outweigh its consequences. This question had a very definite answer when great men like George Washington, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, etc. found our great nation of America: no. Back then, it was very obvious that government should not spy on its own citizens and make decisions for them. This was actually the philosophy that the nation was based off, the Americans were tired of the British government controlling their lives, so they broke free and found the United States of America. But in today’s technologically advancing information age, the question is severely complicated with inventions like the Global Positions System, the World Wide Web, computer chips, the cellular telephone, etc. Of course, there are laws to regulate surveillance on these devices, but the invention of new technologies is passing these laws. As complicated as the question gets, I believe that the government is justified to immerse itself into the private lives and decisions of its citizens for a multitude of reasons. First, government surveillance practices can save lives, put criminals behind bars, or even find missing people, which definitely warrants the need for cellular surveillance. Another example of this justification...

Words: 1737 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

National Security Should Be More Important

...Ever since that moment, Robert’s life was turned upside down. A special team in NSA soon discovered that he might have the videotape, and then the team raided his house and planted surveillance devices in order to find the videotape. His every movement was tracked and every word was tapped, which destroyed Robert’s life: he was fired from his work, his bank accounts were frozen, his wife threw him out of home since photos about his meeting former girlfriend were sent to his wife. After stumbling around for a bit trying to figure out what's happening to him, Robert turned to Brill for help, who turns out be an ex-NSA agent and who was responsible for inventing some of the surveillance devices. Together, they fought the NSA using the same techniques used against them, and finally Robert got rid of all his accusation and went back to his peaceful life again. Although the plot of the movie might look like a little Hollywood style, the surveillance tools feathered in the movie, such as, phone wiretapping, Global Positioning System, voice and face recognition system, and some much advanced ones, are generally in use today. Apparently, the movie puts strong criticism on the abuse of such surveillance tools. It also warms us the potential threats to our privacy by unwarranted investigation under the disguise of national security purpose. Actually, protecting national security and respecting individual’s privacy are two goals we all want to achieve today. However, since 9/11, the...

Words: 1714 - Pages: 7