They were certainly influenced by the ideas of Qutb, who considered the West to be a historical enemy of Islam, and that jihad 12 12 Jihad is a term with many possible meanings, usually divided between lesser and greater jihad.
Greater jihad refers to the effort or struggle of the believer to stay faithful to God's designs. Lesser jihad is a combination of external efforts to protect the community and the faith from external attacks NASSER, Bin Laden and his comrades saw government actors' deviations from Muslim teachings and foreign actors' interference as the causes of decadence in the Muslim world.
It is no coincidence that the U. In , al-Qaeda published a 'fatwa' 13 13 According to Roy , a 'fatwa' is a legal decision, issued by a religious authority, that discusses topics not mentioned in traditional Muslim sources.
It also clarifies the most correct interpretation of Islamic norms. In addition, in a 'fatwa' published in , it criticized Saudi Arabia and the U. In that same 'fatwa' , there were countless accusations against the Saudi regime, which in addition to having allowed infidels to enter the Holy Land — the most sacred places for Muslims, Mecca and Medina, are in Saudi Arabia — also suspended Islamic law, wasted the oil wealth of the country, and ignored the Palestinian cause, among other crimes BYMAN, a BYMAN, Daniel a , Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and the global jihadist movement: what everyone needs to know.
Furthermore, it also declared al-Qaeda's support for the conflicts in Chechnya, Bosnia, and Palestine. However, for bin Laden, the first step was to defeat the U.
The initial goal would be to concentrate efforts against the U. The next step would then be to overthrow the apostate regimes, creating the conditions for the emergence of authentic Muslim governments. The definition of the U. New York: Alpha. It is our framework that lets us define al-Qaeda as a terrorist group.
We then have the use of terror with the intention to alter the correlation of forces, but it is not expected that the terrorist act in itself will directly alter the result in favor of the group.
The statement above can be evaluated by looking at the concrete impacts of the terrorist attacks. Note, therefore, that significant damage was caused, but that the correlation of forces between the U. Besides, the statement cited above can also be evaluated through the prism of al-Qaeda's finances.
Most of their resources are directed to carrying out terrorist attacks 14 14 According to data assembled by Byman a, p. The cost of the attacks on the London metro were somewhere around 8, GBP.
With relation to revenue, al-Qaeda seeks to not restrict itself to just one sponsor country. As a result, al-Qaeda had to diversify its sources of income. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism. Accessed on January 28, Despite these diverse sources of financing, this total would not sustain a direct confrontation with the U.
We therefore have more important evidence that the link between the acts and al-Qaeda's political objective is indirect, which allows us to categorize al-Qaeda as a terrorist group in the terms we have proposed here.
Zarqawi even went to Afghanistan to fight against the Soviets, but returned to Jordan at the end of the conflict, ending up participating in groups opposed to the government. However, he was arrested in after batches of explosives were found in his possession. After leaving prison in , Zarqawi returned to Afghanistan, seeking the support of bin Laden in order to build his organization.
Furthermore, bin Laden and Zawahiri disagreed with the extremist views of Zarqawi, particularly with his emphasis on attacking Shiites, who the Jordanian accused of betrayal. Despite their differences, both groups managed to work together, above all because of the fact that Zarqawi operated in the Levant — a region that spans from Jordan to Syria — where al-Qaeda was fragile. The U.
Chosen by then-President George W. Bush to command the provisional authority of Iraq, Paul Bremer took two decisions that contributed to increasing the destabilization of the country. In , taking advantage of this situation, Zarqawi swore loyalty to bin Laden, giving birth to al-Qaeda in Iraq. This association brought benefits for both groups.
Despite these gains, the relationship continued to be permeated with divergences because bin Laden and Zawahiri were pressing for terrorist attacks focused on U. After the death of Zarqawi in June and a series of attacks on al-Qaeda in Iraq when Sunni tribes allied with the U. Bin Laden and Zawahiri looked to intervene, advising the remnants to discard the objectives and tactics designed by Zarqawi and to seek the support of the local population.
The decision taken, however, went contrary to that advice. Shortly before his death, Zarqawi had founded a council composed of various jihadist groups acting in Iraq because he recognized that it made no sense for al-Qaeda in Iraq to compete with them.
This council then announced the formation of the Islamic State of Iraq, leading Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, Zarqawi's successor, to swear loyalty to this new body, which was led by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi. However, in , the Islamic State of Iraq seemed to have its days numbered.
Two events, however, ended up helping the Islamic State of Iraq survive. First, after the withdrawal of U. Such a stance galvanized Sunni resistance, throwing it into the arms of extremist movements acting in the country, especially the Islamic State of Iraq.
The second event was the emergence of the civil war in Syria in If the sectarianism between Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq was of the utmost importance in allowing for the regrouping of the Islamic State of Iraq, the Syrian context allowed al-Baghdadi to expand his operation radius. The border between Syria and Iraq had always been porous, which allowed jihadists to penetrate Iraqi territory.
Jihadist groups now returned to Syrian territory and destabilized the country even more. The Islamic State of Iraq took advantage of this situation and entered the conflict, especially through the Jabat al-Nursa organization, which was formed in January Finally, on July 04, , after taking large portions of Syrian and Iraqi territories, Baghdadi declared the formation of a new caliphate, occupying the position of caliph himself.
Like Al-Qaeda, the origin contexts cited above point to the relevance that U. Likewise, the status quo that it so longed to alter was also one of asymmetry between Muslim countries and the West. The difference, as one will see, rests in the justifications for the goals sought by ISIS, as with the means of action, which will be explored in the next section. In ideological terms, however, the biggest difference between the groups was perhaps the apocalyptic bias of ISIS.
It deals with a process of purifying Islam, to the degree that some chosen ones will determine who should be extirpated from the political community, as well as those from outside it who threaten that same community. Furthermore, Baghdadi, in addition to having a degree in Islamic studies from the University of Baghdad and having worked as an Imam in Baghdad and Fallujah, considers himself to be a direct descendant of the prophet Muhammad, which would legitimize even more his interpretation of Muslim teachings.
This vision of the world presents relevant implications, above all about the definition of enemies of the caliphate. Among its list of antagonists, ISIS believes that it must begin to eliminate those who are closest, such as the Shiites and Kurds, for example. Rio de Janeiro: Bertrand Brasil.
All told, the political objective of ISIS is also the reversal of the situation of the Muslim world's submission. However, in contrast to al-Qaeda, such a reversal has, as stages, the territorial affirmation of ISIS, which implies the definition of local and regional enemies. This is to be carried out without overlooking, however, the threat that external actors such as the U. To reach the objectives delineated above, it is possible to argue that ISIS has, roughly, two types of main strategies, each of which is related to one of its tasks.
With relation to the territorial consolidation of the caliphate, the strategy used is to build a state while its transnationalization involves other means, among them the terrorist political use of terror.
Both the U. Annual Review of Political Science. Taking this path, it seems to us that the events above allowed for ISIS to undertake a war of conquest on the territories and incite a political revolution in the region.
The conquest of a territory the size of the United Kingdom is a more concrete example of this. The second step, however, is understanding which strategies for political stabilization ISIS used.
Finally, 'caudillismo' is when the government of a certain country is successively filled by notable figures that can only stabilize it provisionally.
In general, totalitarian regimes stabilize themselves by imposing power bargains between classes, parties, ethnicities, etc. At the same time, they incorporate old structures of power with a new political apparatus, interested above all in a continuous ideological transformation.
Such an institutional design has as a goal not only the control of the areas it has seized, but also that of minimizing the impact that the occasional death of one of its leaders could have on the functioning of the organization. In addition to political bargains with the population for the establishment of a new government structure, another strategy of the foremost importance is the provision of services.
Among them was a Saudi Arabian—the 17th child of 52 of a millionaire construction magnate—named Osama bin Laden, who provided the mujahideen with money, weapons and fighters. Along with Abdullah Azzam, a Palestinian Sunni Islamic scholar, preacher and mentor of bin Laden, the men began to grow a large financial network, and when the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan in , al Qaeda was created to take on future holy wars. For Bin Laden, that was a fight he wanted to take globally.
Azzam, conversely, wanted to focus efforts on turning Afghanistan into an Islamist government. Exiled by the Saudi regime, and later stripped of his citizenship in , bin Laden left Afghanistan and set up operations in Sudan, with the United States in his sights as enemy No. In the group claimed responsibility for attacks on U. Cole in Yemen, in which 17 American sailors were killed, and 39 injured. Expelled from Sudan in , bin Laden returned to Afghanistan under protection of the Taliban, where he provided military training to thousands of Muslim insurgents.
For these and other reasons, Bin Laden declared a jihad, or holy war, against the United States, which he has carried out through al Qaeda and its affiliated organizations. After September 11, , when four passenger airplanes were hijacked by al Qaeda terrorists, resulting in the mass murder of 2, victims in New York, Washington, D. The American people are active members in all these crimes. Although portions of the text may reflect revised perspectives and the benefit of hindsight, its key statements of intent correspond to elements of prior statements by Osama Bin Laden and other Al Qaeda figures.
It was crowned by the announcement of Bush Jr. Has Shaykh Usama Bin Ladin not informed you that you will not dream of security until we live it in reality in Palestine and before all infidel armies leave the land of Muhammad, may peace be upon him?
You however shed rivers of blood in our land so we exploded volcanoes of anger in your land Our message to you is crystal clear: Your salvation will only come in your withdrawal from our land, in stopping the robbing of our oil and resources, and in stopping your support for the corrupt and corrupting leaders.
Bin Laden described the stakes of the confrontation between coalition and jihadist forces in Iraq in the following terms: "The whole world is watching this war and the two adversaries; the Islamic nation, on the one hand, and the United States and its allies on the other. It is either victory and glory or misery and humiliation. The nation today has a very rare opportunity to come out of the subservience and enslavement to the West and to smash the chains with which the Crusaders have fettered it.
Bin Laden: "The one who stays behind and fails to join the Mujahidin when Jihad becomes an individual duty commits a cardinal sin The most pressing duty after faith is repelling the aggressor enemy. This means that the nation should devote its resources, sons, and money to fight the infidels and drive them out of its lands. See also the Quran-Al Tawbah, The brothers in the group there should heed his orders and obey him in all that which is good. Bin Laden urged followers to " These are the most important operations.
Bin Laden sanctioned cooperation with Baathists "despite our belief in the infidelity of socialists. The Iraqi who joins this renegade government to fight against the Mujahidin, who resists occupation, is considered a renegade and one of the infidels, even if he were an Arab from Rabi'ah or Mudar tribes. Judging by statements made in the letter, Al Zawahiri largely shared Al Zarqawi's disdain for Shiite Muslims generally and Iraq's Shiite political groups in particular.
He questions the timing of Al Zarqawi's anti-Shiite operations because in his opinion, a majority of the Sunni community Al Qaeda is trying to mobilize on a region-wide basis do not feel as strongly or as negatively about Shi'ism or the Shiite community in Iraq. And similarly, the brothers in the Islamic State of Iraq must open their hearts to their brothers and listen to them and take what they throw them seriously, and at the same time, they must sincerely advise their brothers about the mistakes or shortcomings they see in them.
For example, Bin Laden has linked his opposition to insufficiently Islamic governance in Saudi Arabia to his view that under the Saudi monarchy, "absolute obedience and supremacy are given to the king and his laws, and not to God's religion. According to Bin Laden, Muslims have a right to participate in the selection of their rulers only under certain "conditions," namely the absence of occupying foreign powers and the presence of candidates willing to rule solely according to Islamic law.
Palestine is under occupation and its constitution is man-made and pagan, and Islam has nothing to do with it. Rights cannot be restored from a regime when the ruler becomes renegade or refuses to follow religion except by force.
Al Zawahiri admits that he is "unable Be active and prevent them from reaching the oil, and mount your operations accordingly, particularly in Iraq and the Gulf for this is their fate. According to Bin Laden, "Islam is one unit that can not be divided Topic Areas About Donate. Al Qaeda: Statements and Evolving Ideology February 4, — July 9, RL Al Qaeda leaders and affiliates have conducted sophisticated public relations and media campaigns since the mids. Download PDF. Download EPUB.
Topic areas Intelligence and National Security. Summary Al Qaeda leaders and affiliates have conducted sophisticated public relations and media campaigns since the mids. Introduction Al Qaeda leaders and affiliates have conducted sophisticated public relations and media campaigns since the mids using a series of faxed statements, audio recordings, video appearances, and Internet postings.
Al Qaeda: Statements Founding Principles Osama Bin Laden's experiences as a logistical coordinator and financier for the Afghan and Arab resistance to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan during the s are thought to have provided the backdrop for his belief that Muslims could take effective military action inspired by select Islamic principles. Al Qaeda Statements in Outreach and "Truce" Proposals In and , Bin Laden personally addressed the governments and citizens of Europe and the United States directly in an effort to discourage further support for their respective foreign policies in the Islamic world.
Iraq and Al Qaeda's Ideology Strategic Perspectives In December , Bin Laden identified the conflict in Iraq as "a golden and unique opportunity" for jihadists to engage and defeat the United States, and he characterized the insurgency in Iraq as the central battle in a "Third World War, which the Crusader-Zionist coalition began against the Islamic nation. Tactical Differences? Political Goals and Perspectives on Reform The Three Foundations The operations of Al Qaeda affiliates continue to be complemented by centrally-planned ideological outreach activities.
Secular government or "man-made" law is considered unacceptable and deemed contrary to Islamic faith. He criticized hereditary government and identified a need "to specify the power of the sharia based judiciary, and insure that no one can dispose of the people's rights, except in accordance with this judiciary.
Strategic Framework Al Qaeda military commander Sayf al Adl concluded his May text with advice for Al Zarqawi and other affiliates that includes a detailed strategic framework for the jihadist movement. A summary follows: Jihadist action must have a clear "thought or idea that outlines its means and objectives. The strategic objectives of the jihadist movement should be rooted in and motivated by what Al Adl refers to as "the clear banner of Islam—the banner of 'there is no deity but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Detailed strategic and operational plans must be developed with short-term and long-term components. Al Adl links the failures of other "contemporary Islamic movements" to the fact that their "actions were mostly random.
In a July statement, Al Zawahiri outlined "a near-term plan and a long-term plan" for achieving Al Qaeda objectives: The near-term plan consists of targeting Crusader-Jewish interests, as everyone who attacks the Muslim Ummah must pay the price, in our country and theirs, in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and Somalia, and everywhere we are able to strike their interests Targeting Israel Variations in the intensity and prominence of Al Qaeda leaders' anti-Israeli rhetoric have fueled suggestions that Al Qaeda's commitment to the Palestinian cause waxes and wanes depending on the network's need for support—becoming more pronounced during periods when Al Qaeda's actions have alienated supporters or as part of a more outright ideological appeal.
Implications and Conclusion Statements from Osama Bin Laden, Ayman al Zawahiri, the late Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, Sayf al Adl, and Al Qaeda affiliates in Iraq display the uncompromising commitment of Al Qaeda's leaders and operational affiliates to a consistent ideological agenda focused on two sequential goals: the expulsion of foreign forces and influences from Islamic societies and, ultimately, the creation of an Islamic state ruled by sharia law.
The attacks demonstrated the power, capabilities, reach, and sheer audacity of the organization. Over the next decade, the U.
It remained a symbol of the global jihadist movement, but its inability to successfully launch another major attack against the United States meant that symbol was becoming less powerful.
The death of the charismatic Bin Laden and the ascension of the much less compelling Ayman al-Zawahiri to the top leadership position further diminished the power of the Al Qaeda brand. The Islamic State began as an Iraqi organization, and this legacy shapes the movement today.
Jihadist groups proliferated in Iraq after the U. Yet even in its early days the group bickered with the Al Qaeda leadership. Zawahiri and Bin Laden pushed for a focus on U. Zarqawi and his followers also acted with incredible brutality, making their name with gruesome beheading videos—a tactic that its successor organizations would also use to shock and generate publicity. Zarqawi also kept his focus on Iraq and its immediate environs. Despite the fears of U. When the Syria conflict broke out in and electrified the Muslim world, Zawahiri urged Iraqi jihadists to take part in the conflict, and Baghdadi—who had taken over leadership of the Iraqi group in —initially sent small numbers of fighters into Syria to build an organization.
Syria was in chaos, and the Iraqi jihadists established secure bases of operations there, raising money and winning new recruits to their cause. Their ambitions grew along with their organization, expanding to include Syria as well as Iraq. In Syria, the group took over swaths of territory, benefiting as the Syrian regime focused on more moderate groups while the Syrian opposition as a whole remained fractious.
Daniel L. Although the Syria conflict revived the Iraqi jihadist movement, it also eventually led it to split with the Al Qaeda leadership. Zawahiri encouraged the Iraqi affiliate to move into Syria, but he also wanted to establish a separate group under separate command, with Syrians in the lead to give it a local face. Jabhat al-Nusra was thus created as the Syrian spinoff. But whereas Zawahiri saw this as a positive development, Baghdadi and other Iraqi leaders feared the group had simply gone native and become too independent, focusing too much on Syria and ignoring Iraq and the original leadership.
In an attempt to rein it in and reestablish Iraqi authority over the group, Baghdadi declared Jabhat al-Nusra part of his organization. Nusra leaders balked, pledging a direct oath to Zawahiri as a way of retaining its independence. Zawahiri found this lack of unity frustrating and in late ordered Baghdadi to accept this decision and focus on Iraq. Baghdadi refused, and declared Jabhat al-Nusra subordinate to him: a move that sparked a broader clash in which thoughts of fighters from both groups died.
Thousands more foreign fighters, inspired by the stunning success of the Islamic State and the bold declaration of a caliphate, flocked to Syria and Iraq to join the fight.
The dispute between the Islamic State and Al Qaeda is more than just a fight for power within the jihadist movement. The two organizations differ on the main enemies, strategies, tactics, and other fundamental concerns.
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