Posted: August 1st, 2023

The Terrorist Organization

In a 3–5 page paper, (excluding cover and reference page), explain how a terrorist organization is founded, funded and supported. In the paper, identify a terrorist organization and include the following about the organization:

Background and known Leadership
Preferred targets
Method of operation
The organization’s major Political or Religious Ideology and any grievances of the organization.
Major points should be clearly stated and well supported with facts, details, and evidence. Include examples to support major points.
The Terrorist Organization
Author’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

The Terrorist Organization
Al Qaeda is the most famous terrorist organization in the world. The group was started by Osama Bin Laden in 1989 and recruited various people and was headquartered in Afghanistan for a while till 1991 when it relocated to Sudan (Rollins, 2010). The group had already set up offices in different parts of the world. Osama was being deputized by Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri; a former war veteran having fought together with Osama against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. In 1996, Al Qaeda relocated back to Afghanistan, from where it continued its operations as Osama violently opposed the American government on various grounds. Primarily, the Al Qaeda group was opposed to the United States not adhering to Islamic ideals and supporting enemies of the group. Also, Osama Bin Laden was determined to drive out the United States from the Gulf War in 1991 and other regions. The terrorist declared a holy war against the United States throughout the world.
It is equally important to understand how Al Qaeda was formed. Primarily, most terrorist groups like Al Qaeda are formed based on Islamic fundamentalism and psychopathy. The rising nationalism equally contributed to the establishment of nationalism. That is because, at the time of the emergence of Al Qaeda, the world was experiencing a cold war between the two powerful global alliances. Hence, Osama Bin Laden’s ambitions were facilitated by religious psychopathy and Islamic fundamentalism. In most cases, terrorist groups that emerge from recent wars create
In addition, most terrorist groups like Al Qaeda heavily depend on individual donations. However, there are some affiliated terrorist groups like Al-Shabaab of Somalia, which used to generate income through piracy and charcoal business. Initially, Al Qaeda was funded by Osama Bin Laden himself. He used his family’s wealth to purchase weapons, and over time he shifted his financial sources to the wealthy Saudi allies of the terror group he had befriended during the Afghan war. Besides, Al Qaeda has been reported to have kidnapped various people to finance their activities through ransom. For example, in 2008, a senior Afghan diplomat was held hostage by Al Qaeda, who were eventually paid money to release him in 2010 (Rosenberg, 2015). Similarly, money is funneled through charitable front organizations, money transfers by hawala, and occasionally through drug trafficking networks.
After looking into the numerous funding sources of Al Qaeda, it is essential to note that Al Qaeda has evolved significantly, especially on how they attack their enemy targets. As mentioned earlier, the United States is their primary enemy and target of destruction. In 2001, Al Qaeda bombed the United States in a series of coordinated attacks such as bombing twin towers in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, and the Pennsylvania plane crash. The terrorist organization mainly targets expelling the Americans and any other western power from historically Muslim lands like North Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. In their response to attacks, Al Qaeda usually targets police facilities, military camps, government officials, and institutions and businesses. A good example is the Al-Qaeda affiliated subgroup Al-Shabaab which has attacked Garissa University, Dusit D2 Complex, and the Westgate Shopping Mall.
Al Qaeda employs various tactics in its operations, including; hijackings, roadside bombings, civilian and paramilitary operations, and suicide bombings. Most of the attacks are well-organized, usually spanning over a couple of months and sometimes years. Also, a standard unique tactic that Al Qaeda repeatedly uses is the use of suicide bombers. For instance, in 2005, reports were published about a suicide bomber in London linked to Al Qaeda (Romaniuk, 2012). The suicide bombings are usually coordinated between the attackers to strike numerous targets simultaneously. Al Qaeda primarily styles this target to create panic in the general public.
Moreover, Al Qaeda, to a great extent, uses the media for marketing their activities in different ways and furthering their goals. Although the media is part of the team committed to fighting terrorism, they obliviously tend to help the terrorists spread their message. In most cases, whenever Al Qaeda carries out an attack, the media has been a central part of constantly and heavily reporting and sharing their recorded messages to millions of viewers.
Ever since Al Qaeda’s establishment, its primary political ideology is to establish Islamic rule. Osama Bin Laden believed that the Western powers were a significant threat to Islamic religious ideals. Al Qaeda encourages its recruits to protect Islamic control of their territories in a political context, and he was documented giving anti-Semitic and anti-Christian remarks (Langman, 2020). Al Qaeda ideology favors a Muslim holy warrior, and this idea is the engine of recruiting supporters to practice jihad war against Jews and the United States. Even though Al Qaeda fights the United States’ influence worldwide, the Jews are viewed as their perpetual enemies. The Jews cannot be accommodated or converted as their inferior minority; hence must be fought until they are defeated.
Al Qaeda is a complex transnational terrorist organization that emerged in the late 1980s with various grievances against the United States. Primarily, the United States was meddling in how Islamic land should operate, yet it was an illegitimate power. According to its founding father, Osama Bin Laden, Muslims had to rise to the task and safeguard their Islamic societies. Indeed, Al Qaeda led to the rise of other affiliated groups like Al Shabaab and Boko Haram in Africa. Still, the Al Qaeda menace elimination has not been achieved, and terrorism continues to be a severe threat in securing global security.

References
Langman, P. (2020). Osama bin Laden: Humble Megalomaniac. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 101519.
Rollins, J. (2010). Al Qaeda and affiliates: historical perspective, global presence, and implications for US policy. DIANE Publishing.
Romaniuk, S. N. (2012). Al Qaeda’s Human Bombs: The Strategic Impact of the 7/7 Suicide Terrorist Attacks. European Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Vol, 12(1).
Rosenberg, M. (2015, March 14). C.I.A. Cash Ended Up in Coffers of Al Qaeda. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/15/world/asia/cia-funds-found-their-way-into-al-qaeda-coffers.html

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