Origin and Objectives of Al Qaeda - Assignment Example

Running Head: AL QAEDA Inserts His/Her Inserts Grade Inserts 3rd April, Al Qaeda In the world of prevailing political stability and religious extremism, the terrorist organizations and violence promoting groups have taken strong roots. These non-state actors usually engage in the politically motivated violence or threats of violence and frighten the general public as well as the government. They attempt to exercise the terrorist tactics in an organized and well-planned manner in order to ensure the success of their mission of spreading terrorism. Some of the examples include IRA, Red Brigade, Al Qaeda, KKK, American Nazi Party, White Power Movement, and many other such domestic and international militant organizations. This paper will elaborate upon the origin, leadership, objectives and existence of Al-Qaeda. It will also discuss, briefly, the two of the major terrorist attacks by the Islamic militant organization. Origin of Al Qaeda Al Qaeda is an Arabic word which means ‘The Base’. It is originally an Islamic militant organization operating globally. The organization was founded in August 1988 by Osama bin Laden and, since then, it has been functioning in the form of a network constituting both, a stateless army as well as a multinational and a major movement of Sunni Muslim professing for global Jihad. Al-Qaeda has been ranked as a terrorist organization by the developed nations such as United Kingdom, United States, the European Union, the United Nations Security Council, NATO, and various other countries. The main base of Al Qaeda was Afghanistan, where the founder of organization, Osama Bin Laden lived and operated the network from 1996-2001. The characteristic techniques of the organization include the synchronized bombings of various target locations and suicide attacks. These tactics are performed by either the members of the movement or by those who have pledged loyalty to Osama Bin Laden and have undergone trainings at its camps in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Sudan without taking any pledge. Bases The initial origin of this organization dates back to the 1980s, when Arab volunteers had gone to Afghanistan to counter the increasing power of Soviet Communism under the flag of Islam. Soon after that, Al Qaeda operated from its base in Sudan in the 1990s. However, after 1996, Osama Bin Laden was able to maintain close ties with Taliban at Afghanistan, and thus, the camps and headquarters of the network moved there. Objectives Though, Al Qaeda is no multinational corporation or enterprise, however, it exists with an aim and objective. The primary objective of Al Qaeda is to spread Islam throughout the world, either with or without the willingness and consent of the occupants. It aims upon destroying Israel and any other country which keep any relations or affiliation with her. It also functions with the objective of removing American military, along with its cultural and economic impacts, from the Muslim states. The organization also views the current leadership in Islamic countries as secular and promoting corrupt forms of Islam by fostering the American occupations. Thus, the main objectives of Al Qaeda include the dissemination of Islamic system and laws around the world in general and in Muslim states in particular. Leadership The leadership of Al Qaeda was initiated by Osama Bin laden, who has been the most prominent commander, or emir, historically, and the Senior Operation Chief of Al Qaeda. Bin Laden was assassinated by the US forces on May 1, 2011. After his death, on June 16, 2011, al-Qaida replaced Saif al-Adel, the interim commander, and later, the organization’s Deputy Operations Chief, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was given the new responsibility of commander. The organization comprised of a Shura Council, which advised Osama Bin Laden on different matters. It consists of senior al-Qaeda members, who the Western officials estimate to be about 20–30, people in number. In Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has remained as the senior leader of al-Qaeda. The leadership also involves a military committee which owns the responsibility of planning attacks, training its operatives, and acquiring and purchasing weapons. The leadership of Al Qaeda operates with the strategy to get the Muslim Ummah rid of all the western oppressions and invasions. The leadership of Al Qaeda also includes other members such as Khalid al-Habib, Adnan Gulshair el Shukrijumah, Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, Mustafa Hamid, Saad Bin Laden, and many other prominent leaders. Most of the senior leadership of the network has vanished after the May 1 raid of Bin Laden’s residence. Trainings Currently, the organization is known to be operating in more than 50 countries including Asia, Middle East, Europe and North America. It holds its training in lawless areas where the secrecy can be maintained. These areas are believed to be located in Yemen, Somalia, Chechnya, and the mountainous regions of Afghanistan. There have been leaked reports mentioning of the secret training centers located in Indonesia too. However, unlike the other well-organized groups and networks of the past, such as Abu Nidal Group in Middle East and Red Brigade in Italy, Al- Qaeda is not much organized and is loosely knit. Individual cells or groups seem to have a prominent degree of authority within the network and raise their finances often through maintaining contacts with other groups and committing petty crimes (BBC News, 2004). Two Major Incidents Al Qaeda has been involved in various terrorist attacks since its formation. It thought to have gained concentration and strength through the Islamic extremists known as Taliban of Afghanistan. Though the organization has been engaged in numerous terrorist and violent incidents around the globe, however, the two amongst its many major incidents are described briefly as follows: 9/11 Attacks The 9/11 attacks, also known as the September 11 attacks, pertain to a series of four well-matched suicide attacks upon the United States in Washington, D.C. and New York City the areas on September 11, 2001. It happened on the morning of Tuesday, that 19 militants from Al Qaeda were able to hijack four passenger jets, United Airlines Flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 11. They purposefully crashed these aircrafts into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City; the towers turned into complete wreck in next two hours of the attack. The American Airlines Flight 77 was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington in Virginia. On the other hand, the United Airlines Flight 93, the fourth jet, had crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. The incident took lives of around 3,000 people in these attacks. This destruction had become a major reason for the damages to the economy of Lower Manhattan and imposed a huge impact on the local and international markets. 2004 Madrid Train Bombings The 11- M or, Madrid train bombings, was another major incident which created havoc in form of a terrorist activity in Spain. This attack was a well-planned, coordinated and organized bombing attempt against Madrid’s system of commuter train. It occurred on the morning of 11 March 2004, which was just three days before taking place of the general elections in Spain. There were ten explosions which occurred in around four passenger trains, wounding 1,800 and killing more than 191 people. Later, Al Qaeda ‘proudly’ claimed the responsibility of this attack. The aftermaths of this incident were vital as the governments in various countries declared high alert. The Vigipirate plan, in France, was promoted to orange level. Conclusion The terrorist organizations around the world have become stable and taken their roots globally and have been successful. Al Qaeda is an example of a successful terrorist organization having its network in Asia, Middle East and other parts of the world. Initiated in the leadership of Osama Bin Laden, and operating under few other notable Islamic leaders, the organization trains for terrorist activities in secret areas. Two of the major activities of al Qaeda include the 2004 Madrid Bombings and the September 11 Attacks, which claimed thousands of lives. . REFERENCES BBC News, 2004, Al-Qaedas origins and links, Web, Retrieved on April 4, 2012 Read More