Al-Qaeda

Osama bin Laden Ayman al-Zawahiri Al-Qaeda ( - al-Qā'idah , "the foundation" or "the base") is the name given to a worldwide network and alliance of militant Islamist organizations. Originally built around the cadre of Saudi-funded Arab fighters who flocked to join the mujahideen resistance movement against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan , it seeks to establish, via military and terrorist tactics, a radical form of Islamist ideology to supplant both current regimes in the Middle East and eventually Western society as a whole. The group places itself in confrontation with the United States , because the U.S. and other liberal democracies stand between Al-Qaeda and the achievement of its extremist objectives. Another reason for their conflict with the United States is their perception that certain aspects of Western culture and values are incompatible with Islam. Al-Qaeda has masterminded and inspired terrorist attacks against both civilian and military targets around the world. Al-Qaeda gained worldwide notoriety after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. . The group is led by Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri , although al-Qaeda's exact size and organizational structure are unknown. According to Vincent Cannistraro, former top CIA counter-terrorist official, " Zawahiri is the guy-he's the operational commander...number one, on the right hand side of Osama." The International Institute for Strategic Studies stated in a 2004 report that more than 18,000 "potential militants" are scattered around the world operating in more than 60 countries which could be recruited by Al-Qaeda. In terms of real numbers, some question whether this murky entity has more than a handful of true members.

Al-Qaeda ( al- KYE -də or al- KAY -də ; , al-qāʿidah , "the base"), alternatively spelled al-Qaida and sometimes al-Qa'ida , is a militant Islamist group founded sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless arm and a fundamentalist Sunni movement calling for global Jihad . It is widely considered a terrorist organization. Al-Qaeda has attacked targets, civilian and military, in various countries, most notably, the September 11 attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. in 2001. The U.S. government responded by launching the War on Terror . Characteristic techniques include suicide attacks and simultaneous bombings of different targets. Activities ascribed to it may involve members of the movement, who have taken a pledge of loyalty to Osama bin Laden , or the much more numerous "al-Qaeda-linked" individuals who have undergone training in one of its camps in Afghanistan , Iraq or Sudan , but not taken any pledge. Al-Qaeda ideologues envision a complete break from the foreign influences in Muslim countries , and the creation of a new Islamic caliphate . Reported beliefs include that a Christian - Jewish alliance is conspiring to destroy Islam, which is largely embodied in the U.S.-Israel alliance , and that the killing of bystanders and civilians is religiously justified in jihad. United States Department of State . Council of the European Union . James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies . To coordinate its overt and covert operations as Al-Qaeda's ambitions and resources increased, it developed a decentralised, regional structure. [...] As a global multinational, Al-Qaeda makes its constituent nationalities and ethnic groups, of which there are several dozen, responsible for a particular geograhic region. Although its modus operandi is cellular, familial relationships play a key role." See also: Naím, Moisés (January/February 2003).

Salafi jihadist organization Al-Qaeda ( / æ l ˈ k aɪ d ə , ˌ æ l k ɑː ˈ iː d ə / ; al-Qāʿidah , , translation: "The Base", "The Foundation", alternatively spelled al-Qaida and al-Qa'ida ) is a transnational extremist Salafist militant organization founded in 1988 by Osama bin Laden , Abdullah Azzam , and several other Arab volunteers during the Soviet–Afghan War . Al-Qaeda operates as a network of Islamic extremists and Salafist jihadists . The organization has been designated as a terrorist group by the United Nations Security Council , the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union , the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, India, and various other countries (see below ). Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on non-military and military targets in various countries, including the 1998 United States embassy bombings , the September 11 attacks , and the 2002 Bali bombings . The United States government responded to the September 11 attacks by launching the " War on Terror ", which sought to undermine al-Qaeda and its allies. The deaths of key leaders, including that of Osama bin Laden , have led al-Qaeda's operations to shift from the top down organization and planning of attacks, to the planning of attacks which are carried out by associated groups and lone-wolf operators. Al-Qaeda characteristically employs attacks which include suicide attacks and the simultaneous bombing of several targets . Activities which are ascribed to al-Qaeda involve the actions of those who have made a pledge of loyalty to bin Laden, or to the actions of "al-Qaeda-linked" individuals who have undergone training in one of its camps in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq or Sudan. Al-Qaeda ideologues envision the removal of all foreign influences in Muslim countries . Al-Qaeda members believe that a Christian–Jewish alliance is conspiring to destroy Islam . As Salafist jihadists , members of al-Qaeda believe that the killing of non-combatants is religiously sanctioned . This belief ignores the aspects of religious scripture which forbid the murder of non-combatants and internecine fighting . Al-Qaeda also opposes what it regards as man-made laws , and wants to replace them with a strict form of sharia law . Al-Qaeda has carried out many attacks on people that it considers kafir . Al-Qaeda is also responsible for instigating sectarian violence among Muslims . Al-Qaeda's leaders regard liberal Muslims , Shias , Sufis and other sects as heretical and its members and sympathizers have attacked their mosques and gatherings. Examples of sectarian attacks include the Yazidi community bombings , the Sadr City bombings , the Ashoura massacre and the April 2007 Baghdad bombings . Following the death of bin Laden in 2011, the group has been led by Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahiri . US Counter-Terrorism Strategy and al-Qaeda: Signalling and the Terrorist World-View (Reprint ed.). Usama bin Laden et al. , Cr. 1023 , Testimony of Jamal Ahmed Mohamed al-Fadl ( SDNY February 6, 2001). Council on Foreign Relations . "Notorious Extremist Said to Head Al-Qaida West Africa Branch" . abc . Haaretz; Press, The Associated (July 11, 2017). A Look at Its Ties to Iran, ISIS and the Muslim Brotherhood" . The New York Times . "The Chinese regime and the Uyghur dilemma" Summary of Castets, Rémi (2003). A Brief History of Al Qaeda" . Unconventional Weapons and International Terrorism . The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 . Weightman Security strategy and transatlantic relations (2006) Roland Dannreuther Jihad and Just War in the War on Terror (2011) Alia Brahimi

Jihadist multinational terrorist organization (established 1988) Al-Qaeda is a Sunni pan-Islamist militant organization led by Salafi jihadists who self-identify as a vanguard spearheading a global Islamist revolution to unite the Muslim world under a supra-national Islamic state known as the Caliphate . Its members are mostly composed of Arabs , but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military targets in various countries, including the 1998 United States embassy bombings and the September 11 attacks ; it has been designated as a terrorist group by the United Nations Security Council , the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union , and various countries around the world. The organization was founded in a series of meetings held in Peshawar during 1988, attended by Abdullah Azzam , Osama bin Laden , Muhammad Atef , Ayman al-Zawahiri and other veterans of the Soviet–Afghan War . Building upon the networks of Maktab al-Khidamat , the founding members decided to create an organization named " Al-Qaeda " to serve as a "vanguard" for jihad . Following the withdrawal of the Soviets in 1989, bin Laden offered mujahideen support to Saudi Arabia in the Gulf War in 1990–1991. His offer was rebuffed by the Saudi government, which instead sought the aid of the United States . The stationing of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia prompted bin Laden to declare a jihad against the House of Saud , whom he condemned as takfir ( apostates from Islam ), and against the US. During 1992–1996, Al-Qaeda established its headquarters in Sudan until it was expelled in 1996. It shifted its base to the Taliban -ruled Afghanistan and later expanded to other parts of the world, primarily in the Middle East and South Asia . In 1996 and 1998, bin Laden issued two fatāwā calling for U.S. troops to leave Saudi Arabia. Al-Qaeda conducted the 1998 United States embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania , which killed 224 people. The U.S. retaliated by launching Operation Infinite Reach , against al-Qaeda targets in Afghanistan and Sudan. In 2001, Al-Qaeda carried out the September 11 attacks , resulting in nearly 3,000 fatalities , substantial long-term health consequences and damaging global economic markets . The U.S. launched the war on terror in response and invaded Afghanistan to depose the Taliban and destroy al-Qaeda. In 2003, a U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq , overthrowing the Ba'athist regime which they wrongly accused of having ties with al-Qaeda. In 2004, al-Qaeda launched its Iraqi regional branch . After pursuing him for almost a decade , the U.S. military killed bin Laden in Pakistan in May 2011. Al-Qaeda members believe a Judeo-Christian alliance (led by the United States ) is conspiring to be at war against Islam and destroy Islam . As Salafist jihadists, members of Al-Qaeda believe that killing non-combatants is religiously sanctioned . Al-Qaeda also opposes what it regards as man-made laws , and wants to replace them exclusively with a strict form of sharīʿa ( Islamic religious law , which is perceived as divine law ). They characteristically deploy tactics such as suicide attacks ( Inghimasi and Istishhadi operations) involving simultaneous bombing of several targets in battle-zones. Al-Qaeda's Iraq branch , which later morphed into the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant , was responsible for numerous sectarian attacks against Shias during its Iraqi insurgency . Al-Qaeda ideologues envision the violent removal of all foreign and secular influences in Muslim countries , which it denounces as corrupt deviations. Following the death of bin Laden in 2011, al-Qaeda vowed to avenge his killing. The group was then led by Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahiri until his death in 2022. As of 2021 , they have reportedly suffered from a deterioration of central command over its regional operations. Political Islam in the Age of Democratization . In Akbarzadeh, Shahram (ed.). Routledge Handbook of Political Islam (1st ed.). "Iran, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban; Close Relations between Shiite and Sunni Fundamentalists: A Strategic Move or a Matter of Expediency?" . Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies . Ayman Al-Zawahiri became the leader of Al-Qaeda—a leader who was "in favour of" forging an alliance between the Shia and the Sunni against their common enemy—Al-Qaeda developed deeper relations with the IRGC. Council on Foreign Relations . Sunni al-Qaeda and Shia Hezbollah, have not defined their movements in sectarian terms, and have favored using anti-imperialist, anti-Zionist, and anti-American frameworks to define their jihad, or struggle. Bin Laden, a Sunni Muslim, saw cooperation between Islam's two sects—Sunni and Shia—as essential to Al-Qaeda's success. Landscapes of the Jihad: Militancy, Morality, Modernity . Al-Qaeda leaders like Osama Bin Laden or Ayman al-Zawahiri have never been known either to preach or practice anti-Shia politics, indeed the opposite, with Bin Laden repeatedly urging Muslims to ignore internal differences and even appearing to uphold the religious credentials of Shiite Iran by comparing the longed-for-ouster of the Saudi monarch to the expulsion of the Shah "The spider in the web" . [Bin Laden] has insisted that differences within the Islamic world should be set aside for the sake of the broader struggle against western and Jewish interests. American officials say there is clear evidence of tactical co-operation between his organisation, al-Qaeda, the government of Iran, and Iran's proxies in Lebanon, the Hizbullah group. From the early 1990s, members of his group and its Egyptian allies were being sent to Lebanon to receive training from Hizbullah: an unusual example of Sunni-Shia co-operation in the broader anti-western struggle. al-Aloosy, Massaab (2020). The changing ideology of Hezbollah . US Counter-Terrorism Strategy and al-Qaeda: Signalling and the Terrorist World-View (Reprint ed.). Violent Non-State Actors: From Anarchists to Jihadists . Routledge Studies on Challenges, Crises, and Dissent in World Politics (1st ed.). Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars . "Iran, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban; Close Relations between Shiite and Sunni Fundamentalists: A Strategic Move or a Matter of Expediency?" . Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies . Ayman Al-Zawahiri became the leader of Al-Qaeda—a leader who was "in favour of" forging an alliance between the Shia and the Sunni against their common enemy—Al-Qaeda developed deeper relations with the IRGC. Council on Foreign Relations . Sunni al-Qaeda and Shia Hezbollah, have not defined their movements in sectarian terms, and have favored using anti-imperialist, anti-Zionist, and anti-American frameworks to define their jihad, or struggle. Bin Laden, a Sunni Muslim, saw cooperation between Islam's two sects—Sunni and Shia—as essential to Al-Qaeda's success. Landscapes of the Jihad: Militancy, Morality, Modernity . Al-Qaeda leaders like Osama Bin Laden or Ayman al-Zawahiri have never been known either to preach or practice anti-Shia politics, indeed the opposite, with Bin Laden repeatedly urging Muslims to ignore internal differences and even appearing to uphold the religious credentials of Shiite Iran by comparing the longed-for-ouster of the Saudi monarch to the expulsion of the Shah "The spider in the web" . [Bin Laden] has insisted that differences within the Islamic world should be set aside for the sake of the broader struggle against western and Jewish interests. American officials say there is clear evidence of tactical co-operation between his organisation, al-Qaeda, the government of Iran, and Iran's proxies in Lebanon, the Hizbullah group. From the early 1990s, members of his group and its Egyptian allies were being sent to Lebanon to receive training from Hizbullah: an unusual example of Sunni-Shia co-operation in the broader anti-western struggle. al-Aloosy, Massaab (2020). The changing ideology of Hezbollah . Osama Bin Laden mentioned Hezbollah in a 2003 speech-or as he called them the resistance- in a positive light as the group that compelled the US marines to withdraw from Lebanon Sherlock, Ruth (December 2, 2012). Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, the militant group's Yemen-based branch, criticized Qatar for "bringing immoral people, homosexuals, sowers of corruption and atheism into the Arabian Peninsula" and said the event served to divert attention from the "occupation of Muslim countries and their oppression." United States v. Council on Foreign Relations . "The Growing Relationship between Iran and al-Shabab Movement in Somalia: Motives and Potential Consequences" . Sana'a Center For Strategic Studies . The New York Times . Haaretz; Press, The Associated (July 11, 2017). A Look at Its Ties to Iran, ISIS and the Muslim Brotherhood" . Saudi Arabia considers Al Qaeda to be a mortal enemy "Why is Al Qaeda attacking Turkish forces?" . Why is Al Qaeda attacking Turkish forces? . "The Chinese regime and the Uyghur dilemma" Summary of Castets, Rémi (2003). "Al-Qaeda calls for liberation of Kashmir" – via YouTube. Western Jihadism: A Thirty-Year History . (the permanent members of which are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) Klausen, Jytte (2021). Western Jihadism: A Thirty-Year History . " "Jihad and the Rifle Alone": 'Abdullah 'Azzam and the Islamist Revolution" . Journal of Conflict Studies . 23 (2): 92– 113. Jihad and Just War in the War on Terror . The Christian Science Monitor . There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).

Pan-Islamic Sunni Jihadist organization (established 1988) For other uses, see Al-Qaeda (disambiguation) . Al-Qaeda , is a pan-Islamist militant organization led by Sunni jihadists who self-identify as a vanguard spearheading a global Islamist revolution to unite the Muslim world under a supra-national Islamic caliphate . Its membership is mostly composed of Arabs but also includes people from other ethnic groups. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian, economic and military targets of the U.S. and its allies; such as the 1998 US embassy bombings , the USS Cole bombing , and the September 11 attacks . The organization was founded in a series of meetings held in Peshawar during 1988, attended by Abdullah Azzam , Osama bin Laden , Muhammad Atef , Ayman al-Zawahiri and other veterans of the Soviet–Afghan War . Building upon the networks of Maktab al-Khidamat , the founding members decided to create an organization named " Al-Qaeda " to serve as a "vanguard" for jihad . When Saddam Hussein invaded and occupied Kuwait in 1990, bin Laden offered to support Saudi Arabia by sending his Mujahideen fighters. His offer was rebuffed by the Saudi government, which instead sought the aid of the United States . The stationing of U.S. troops in the Arabian Peninsula prompted bin Laden to declare a jihad against both the rulers of Saudi Arabia – whom he denounced as murtadd (apostates) – and against the US. From 1992, al-Qaeda established its headquarters in Sudan until it was expelled in 1996. It then shifted its base to the Taliban -ruled Afghanistan and later expanded to other parts of the world, primarily in the Middle East and South Asia . In 1996 and 1998, bin Laden issued two fatāwā that demanded the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Saudi Arabia. In 1998, al-Qaeda conducted the US embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania , which killed 224 people. The U.S. retaliated by launching Operation Infinite Reach , against al-Qaeda targets in Afghanistan and Sudan. In 2001, al-Qaeda carried out the September 11 attacks , resulting in nearly 3,000 deaths , long-term health consequences of nearby residents , damage to global economic markets , the triggering of drastic geo-political changes as well as generating profound cultural influence across the world . The U.S. launched the war on Terror in response and invaded Afghanistan to depose the Taliban and destroy al-Qaeda. In 2003, a U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq , overthrowing the Ba'athist regime which they falsely accused of having ties with al-Qaeda. In 2004, al-Qaeda launched its Iraqi regional branch . After pursuing him for almost a decade , the U.S. military killed bin Laden in Pakistan in May 2011. Al-Qaeda members believe that a Judeo-Christian alliance (led by the United States ) is waging a war against Islam and conspiring to destroy Islam . Al-Qaeda also opposes man-made laws , and seek to implement sharīʿah (Islamic law) in Muslim countries. Al-Qaeda fighters characteristically deploy tactics such as suicide attacks ( Inghimasi and Istishhadi operations) involving simultaneous bombing of several targets in battle-zones. Al-Qaeda's Iraq branch , which later morphed into the Islamic State of Iraq after 2006, was responsible for numerous sectarian attacks against Shias during its Iraqi insurgency . Al-Qaeda ideologues envision the violent removal of all foreign and secularist influences in Muslim countries , which it denounces as corrupt deviations. Following the death of bin Laden in 2011, al-Qaeda vowed to avenge his killing. The group was then led by Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahiri until he too was killed by the United States in 2022. As of 2021 , they have reportedly suffered from a deterioration of central command over its regional operations. Political Islam in the Age of Democratization . In Akbarzadeh, Shahram (ed.). Routledge Handbook of Political Islam (1st ed.). US Counter-Terrorism Strategy and Al-Qaeda . Violent Non-State Actors: From Anarchists to Jihadists . Routledge Studies on Challenges, Crises, and Dissent in World Politics (1st ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. pp. viii, 2, 3. US Counter-Terrorism Strategy and Al-Qaeda . Al-Qaeda's 'pan-Islamic ideology' seeks to unify the umma not only by emphasising Islam over nationalism but also by specifically calling for unity among all Muslims, including the often hostile Sunnis and Shiites... 'For an organization led by a Sunni fundamentalist' to 'make common cause with Shiite terrorists', and then with potential Shiite supporters more broadly, was considered 'extraordinary'—yet doing so was central to al-Qaeda's vision of Islamic unity against America. "Iran, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban; Close Relations between Shiite and Sunni Fundamentalists: A Strategic Move or a Matter of Expediency?" . Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies . Ayman Al-Zawahiri became the leader of Al-Qaeda—a leader who was "in favour of" forging an alliance between the Shia and the Sunni against their common enemy—Al-Qaeda developed deeper relations with the IRGC. Council on Foreign Relations . Sunni al-Qaeda and Shia Hezbollah, have not defined their movements in sectarian terms, and have favored using anti-imperialist, anti-Zionist, and anti-American frameworks to define their jihad, or struggle. Bin Laden, a Sunni Muslim, saw cooperation between Islam's two sects—Sunni and Shia—as essential to Al-Qaeda's success. Landscapes of the Jihad: Militancy, Morality, Modernity . Al-Qaeda leaders like Osama Bin Laden or Ayman al-Zawahiri have never been known either to preach or practice anti-Shia politics, indeed the opposite, with Bin Laden repeatedly urging Muslims to ignore internal differences and even appearing to uphold the religious credentials of Shiite Iran by comparing the longed-for-ouster of the Saudi monarch to the expulsion of the Shah "The spider in the web" . [Bin Laden] has insisted that differences within the Islamic world should be set aside for the sake of the broader struggle against western and Jewish interests. American officials say there is clear evidence of tactical co-operation between his organisation, al-Qaeda, the government of Iran, and Iran's proxies in Lebanon, the Hizbullah group. From the early 1990s, members of his group and its Egyptian allies were being sent to Lebanon to receive training from Hizbullah: an unusual example of Sunni-Shia co-operation in the broader anti-western struggle. al-Aloosy, Massaab (2020). The changing ideology of Hezbollah . Usama bin Laden et al. , S (7) 98 Cr. 1023 , Testimony of Jamal Ahmed Mohamed al-Fadl ( SDNY February 6, 2001), archived from the original. "frontline: the terrorist and the superpower: who is bin laden?: interview with osama bin laden (in May 1998)" . Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, the militant group's Yemen-based branch, criticized Qatar for 'bringing immoral people, homosexuals, sowers of corruption and atheism into the Arabian Peninsula' and said the event served to divert attention from the 'occupation of Muslim countries and their oppression.' Sherlock, Ruth (December 2, 2012). Al-Qaedaism in the Context of Civil War . Al-Qaedaism in the Context of Civil War . The idea of Deobandism is the third doctrinal school for al-Qaedaism. It became popular within northern India in response to reactions against British colonial and imperial power in the nineteenth century. Inside Al-Qaeda and the Taliban . London: University of Wisconsin Press. p. xxii. Current Trends in Islamist Ideology . 1 . Terrorism and Counter-terrorism in Saudi Arabia and Indonesia . Fountainhead of Jihad: The Haqqani Nexus, 1973–2012 . The Deoband Madrassah Movement . US Counter-Terrorism Strategy and al-Qaeda: Signalling and the Terrorist World-View (Reprint ed.). Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars . Council on Foreign Relations . The link between the Taliban and both Al-Qaida and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remains strong and symbiotic..The relationship between the Taliban and Al-Qaida remained close and symbiotic, with Al-Qaida viewing Taliban-administered Afghanistan a safe haven. Al-Qaida still aims to strengthen its position in Afghanistan and has been interacting with the Taliban, supporting the regime and protecting senior Taliban figures. Al-Qaida maintains a low profile, focusing on using the country as an ideological and logistical hub to mobilize and recruit new fighters while covertly rebuilding its external operations capability "UN report finds 'strong and symbiotic' links between Afghan Taliban, TTP" . "The Growing Relationship between Iran and al-Shabab Movement in Somalia: Motives and Potential Consequences" . Sana'a Center For Strategic Studies . The New York Times . Haaretz; Press, The Associated (July 11, 2017). A Look at Its Ties to Iran, ISIS and the Muslim Brotherhood" . "Indonesia's JI terror group declares dissolution, but security threat remains, say analysts" . Saudi Arabia considers Al Qaeda to be a mortal enemy "Why is Al Qaeda attacking Turkish forces?" . Why is Al Qaeda attacking Turkish forces? . Western Jihadism: A Thirty-Year History . Western Jihadism: A Thirty-Year History . " "Jihad and the Rifle Alone": 'Abdullah 'Azzam and the Islamist Revolution" . Journal of Conflict Studies . 23 (2): 92– 113. Jihad and Just War in the War on Terror . The Christian Science Monitor . There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).