Page 47 - Encyclopedia Of Terrorism

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20———Al Qaeda

al-’Owhali could give him martyr’s status in terrorists’ based in Afghanistan from 1989 to 1991, Sudan from
eyes. 1991 to 1996, Afghanistan again from 1996 to 2001,
and was forced into exile after the United States
See also AL QAEDA; EAST AFRICAN EMBASSY BOMBINGS;
launched Operation Enduring Freedom into Afghani-
TALIBAN
stan on October 7, 2001.
Further Reading Al Qaeda seeks to overthrow the current world
order and replace it with a fundamentalist Islamic
FBI National Press Office. “For Immediate Release.” FBI order characterized by a unified Muslim world under
National Press Office. Washington, DC. http://www.fbi. the leadership of one Muslim Caliph. Accordingly, it
gov/pressrel/pressrel98/africaco.htm, August 27, 1998. has set several goals. First, it seeks to topple what it
“Suicide Bomber Who Flunked Martyrdom.” Financial considers to be the morally bankrupt and heretical
Times (London), November 29, 2001.
Swanson, Stevenson. “Embassy Bomber Gets Life; 10 on regimes of the Middle East. Al Qaeda chastises these
Jury Feared Creating a Martyr.” Chicago Tribune, June regimes for not properly implementing Islamic law, or
13, 2001. shari’a. The organization’s top target is Saudi Arabia,
United States Information Agency. Criminal Complaint the home of Islam’s two holiest sites, which bin Laden
Against Kenya Bombing Suspect al-’Owhali. http:// lambastes for allowing U.S. soldiers to be stationed on
usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/terror/98090103.htm, August its soil. Second, Al Qaeda sees the United States as the
26, 1998. foremost enemy of Islam for what it perceives to be
oppressive foreign policy. As the world’s lone super
power, the United States also represents the largest
AL QAEDA impediment to an Islamic order. Al Qaeda, therefore,
seeks to destroy it. Finally, Al Qaeda calls for the
aka Al Qa’ida, Islamic Army for the Liberation destruction of the Jewish state of Israel and to replace
of the Holy Places, Islamic Salvation Foundation, it with a Muslim state of Palestine. Al Qaeda, how-
Osama bin Laden Network, World Islamic Front ever, has never directly attacked a Jewish or Israeli
for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders
target.

Al Qaeda (Arabic for “The Base”) is a loosely knit THE BEGINNINGS OF AL QAEDA
terrorist network that facilitates the activities of like-
minded militant Islamic groups in more than 60 The history of Al Qaeda is inextricably tied to the life
countries around the globe. Al Qaeda is believed to and ideology of bin Laden, the son of a Saudi multi-
have been behind both attacks on the World Trade millionaire, whose inheritance was once estimated at
Center (1993 and 2001) and the 1998 bombings of $270 to $300 million. Bin Laden left his life of luxury
two U.S. embassies, among many other incidents. in Saudi Arabia to become a guerrilla fighter in 1979,
Organizationally, Al Qaeda is governed by a small when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. He con-
core comprising the majlis al-shura, or consultative tributed millions of dollars to the mujahideen, helping
council, which makes the final decisions on major to build roads, bunkers, and other vital infrastructure.
policy decisions, including the approval of terrorist In tandem with Azzam, bin Laden founded Maktab
operations and the issuing of Islamic decrees, or al-Khidamat (the Services Office), which recruited
fatwas. Al Qaeda also has a military committee, a busi- thousands of mujahideen from around the globe,
ness committee, a media committee, and a religious financed their travel to Afghanistan, and trained them
committee. Most Al Qaeda operatives never have con- in guerrilla tactics and terrorist operations.
tact with the top leadership and are dispatched for duty By one estimate, between 175,000 and 250,000
at the last moment without prior knowledge of the mujahideen fought yearly in Afghanistan, and only a
organization’s plans. For this reason, intelligence ana- small percentage of them were native Afghans. Almost
lysts have experienced great difficulty breaking into half of the fighters hailed from Saudi Arabia, about
the network. 3,000 were Algerian, approximately 2,000 were
The network was established in 1989 by Saudi mil- Egyptian, and thousands of others arrived from Sudan,
itant Osama bin Laden with Palestinian Muslim Yemen, and neighboring Pakistan. These fighters
Brotherhood figure Abdullah Azzam. Al Qaeda was would become the core of Al Qaeda’s fighters.