The Al-Qaeda Transnational Jihadist Movement in Historical Context: Understanding and Countering Religious and Secular Forms of Terrorism
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Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS): an Al-Qaeda Affiliate Case Study Pamela G
Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS): An Al-Qaeda Affiliate Case Study Pamela G. Faber and Alexander Powell October 2017 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release: distribution unlimited. This document contains the best opinion of CNA at the time of issue. It does not necessarily represent the opinion of the sponsor. Distribution DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release: distribution unlimited. SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: N00014-16-D-5003 10/27/2017 Request additional copies of this document through [email protected]. Photography Credit: Michael Markowitz, CNA. Approved by: October 2017 Dr. Jonathan Schroden, Director Center for Stability and Development Center for Strategic Studies This work was performed under Federal Government Contract No. N00014-16-D-5003. Copyright © 2017 CNA Abstract Section 1228 of the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) states: “The Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence, shall provide for the conduct of an independent assessment of the effectiveness of the United States’ efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat Al- Qaeda, including its affiliated groups, associated groups, and adherents since September 11, 2001.” The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict (ASD (SO/LIC)) asked CNA to conduct this independent assessment, which was completed in August 2017. In order to conduct this assessment, CNA used a comparative methodology that included eight case studies on groups affiliated or associated with Al-Qaeda. These case studies were then used as a dataset for cross-case comparison. This document is a stand-alone version of the Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) case study used in the Independent Assessment. -
Summary from the Jihadi Forums
ICT Jihadi Monitoring Group PERIODIC REVIEW Bimonthly Report Summary of Information on Jihadist Websites The Second Half of July 2015 International Institute for Counter Terrorism (ICT) Additional resources are available on the ICT Website: www.ict.org.il This report summarizes notable events discussed on jihadist Web forums during the second half of July 2015. Following are the main points covered in the report: The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban in Afghanistan) officially announces the death of Mullah Omar, the leader of the Emirate, from an illness. Following his death, many jihadist leaders and organization eulogize him. In addition, the Emirate announces the appointment of his deputy, Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor, as the new leader of the Emirate. Islamic State fighters from Turkestan call on Muslim residents of Turkestan to emigrate from their homeland and join the Islamic Caliphate under the leadership of Sheikh Abu Bakr al- Baghdadi. The organization also calls on Turkestani Al-Nusra Front fighters in Syria to defect and join the Islamic State. Sheikh Abu ‘Ubatdha Ahmad ‘Umar, the leader of Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen, releases his first message since being appointed to the role, regarding his organization’s resolve in the fight against the Crusader conspiracy to weaken Islam and to steal the natural treasures of Muslim lands. In light of this, he calls on tribes in Somalia to help wage jihad against the enemies of Islam and he calls on Muslims in Kenya to join jihad as well. According to him, his organization is ready and willing to absorb into its ranks Muslims from East Africa, including Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda and Central Africa, due to their persecution at the hands of the local regimes. -
As Many of You Probably Heard, in April Of
Sesquicentennial Lecture, University of Memphis, November 9th, 2009 “The Global War on What Exactly? Making Sense of Political Islam” Dr. James L. Gelvin, Professor of Modern Middle East History, UCLA In July of 2008, the New York Times ran an article about the evolution of the Algerian militant group, the Armed Islamic Group (GIA), into a branch of al-Qaeda called “al-Qaeda of the Islamic Maghreb.” The Armed Islamic Group emerged after the Algerian government cancelled the second round of parliamentary elections in 1992. The government did this to prevent a victory by the Islamic Salvation Front, a party led by a broad coalition of Islamic activists. The GIA was not interested in parliamentary politics: its goal was to overthrow the Algerian government by violence and establish an Islamic government in its place. According to the article, in 1994 the group was approached by Osama bin Laden who sought to establish a base in Algeria. The group refused bin Laden‟s request. In an interview obtained by the New York Times, one of the group‟s leaders stated that he told bin Laden, “We don‟t have anything to do with anything outside….We are interested in just Algeria.” Ten years later, in the fall of 2004, a spin-off and successor to the GIA, called the “Salafist Group for Preaching and Struggle” (GSPC) reversed the GIA‟s decision and contacted Abu Muscab al-Zarqawi, the (now deceased) leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq. What caused the group to reverse its predecessor‟s decision? According to one account, immediately following 9/11 the Bush administration changed its designation of the GSPC from a “regional insurgency” to a terrorist group. -
Afghanistan: Background and U.S. Policy
Afghanistan: Background and U.S. Policy July 18, 2019 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R45818 SUMMARY R45818 Afghanistan: Background and U.S. Policy July 18, 2019 Afghanistan has been a significant U.S. foreign policy concern since 2001, when the United States, in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, led a military Clayton Thomas campaign against Al Qaeda and the Taliban government that harbored and supported it. Analyst in Middle Eastern In the intervening 18 years, the United States has suffered approximately 2,400 military Affairs fatalities in Afghanistan, with the cost of military operations reaching nearly $750 billion. Congress has appropriated approximately $133 billion for reconstruction. In that time, an elected Afghan government has replaced the Taliban, and most measures of human development have improved, although Afghanistan’s future prospects remain mixed in light of the country’s ongoing violent conflict and political contention. Topics covered in this report include: Security dynamics. U.S. and Afghan forces, along with international partners, combat a Taliban insurgency that is, by many measures, in a stronger military position now than at any point since 2001. Many observers assess that a full-scale U.S. withdrawal would lead to the collapse of the Afghan government and perhaps even the reestablishment of Taliban control over most of the country. Taliban insurgents operate alongside, and in periodic competition with, an array of other armed groups, including regional affiliates of Al Qaeda (a longtime Taliban ally) and the Islamic State (a Taliban foe and increasing focus of U.S. policy). U.S. -
Boko Haram Beyond the Headlines: Analyses of Africa’S Enduring Insurgency
Boko Haram Beyond the Headlines: Analyses of Africa’s Enduring Insurgency Editor: Jacob Zenn Boko Haram Beyond the Headlines: Analyses of Africa’s Enduring Insurgency Jacob Zenn (Editor) Abdulbasit Kassim Elizabeth Pearson Atta Barkindo Idayat Hassan Zacharias Pieri Omar Mahmoud Combating Terrorism Center at West Point United States Military Academy www.ctc.usma.edu The views expressed in this report are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of the Combating Terrorism Center, United States Military Academy, Department of Defense, or U.S. Government. May 2018 Cover Photo: A group of Boko Haram fighters line up in this still taken from a propaganda video dated March 31, 2016. COMBATING TERRORISM CENTER ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Director The editor thanks colleagues at the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point (CTC), all of whom supported this endeavor by proposing the idea to carry out a LTC Bryan Price, Ph.D. report on Boko Haram and working with the editor and contributors to see the Deputy Director project to its rightful end. In this regard, I thank especially Brian Dodwell, Dan- iel Milton, Jason Warner, Kristina Hummel, and Larisa Baste, who all directly Brian Dodwell collaborated on the report. I also thank the two peer reviewers, Brandon Kend- hammer and Matthew Page, for their input and valuable feedback without which Research Director we could not have completed this project up to such a high standard. There were Dr. Daniel Milton numerous other leaders and experts at the CTC who assisted with this project behind-the-scenes, and I thank them, too. Distinguished Chair Most importantly, we would like to dedicate this volume to all those whose lives LTG (Ret) Dell Dailey have been afected by conflict and to those who have devoted their lives to seeking Class of 1987 Senior Fellow peace and justice. -
Al-Qa'ida Affiliates in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa
NEW JERSEY OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND PREPAREDNESS AL-QA’IDA AFFILIATES IN ASIA, THE MIDDLE EAST, AND AFRICA INFORMATION CUTOFF: JULY 13, 2017 Al-Qa’ida (AQ) Remains the head of AQ, but is competing with ISIS for leadership within the global jihadi movement and has been Al-Qa’ida Affiliate releasing propaganda to counter ISIS messaging in Syria since the declaration of its Strives to establish a caliphate in 2014. new affiliate in Syria composed of defectors from the Nusrah Front—a former al- Qa’ida affiliate. Al-Qa’ida in theArabian Peninsula (AQAP) Continues to fight the Yemeni military and the Iranian- backed Shia Huthis in Yemen and has acquired new weaponry and support from sympathetic Sunni tribes across the country. The Ansar al-Sharia branch of AQAP functions as an intermediary between local tribes and Al-Qa’ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) AQAP. Maintains ties to local extremist groups and conducts small-scale attacks, targeting secular Al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) activists, bloggers, and writers in Bangladesh. The group continues to expand throughout the Al-Shabaab region and recently swore its allegiance to the Afghan Taliban. Continues to target Western assets in the region and recently merged with four insurgency groups in North Africa—Ansar al-Dine, the Macina Liberation Front, al-Murabitun, and AQIM’s Sahara branch— Targets African to create Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin. This merger is an attempt to strengthen local ties and Mission in Somalia foster cooperation in the region. (AMISOM) forces, attacking government bases, as well as soft targets such as hotels and restaurants frequented by foreign diplomats and government officials. -
By Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Of
FROM DIWAN TO PALACE: JORDANIAN TRIBAL POLITICS AND ELECTIONS by LAURA C. WEIR Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Adviser: Dr. Pete Moore Department of Political Science CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY January, 2013 CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES We hereby approve the thesis/dissertation of Laura Weir candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree *. Pete Moore, Ph.D (chair of the committee) Vincent E. McHale, Ph.D. Kelly McMann, Ph.D. Neda Zawahri, Ph.D. (date) October 19, 2012 *We also certify that written approval has been obtained for any proprietary material contained therein. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables v List of Maps and Illustrations viii List of Abbreviations x CHAPTERS 1. RESEARCH PUZZLE AND QUESTIONS Introduction 1 Literature Review 6 Tribal Politics and Elections 11 Case Study 21 Potential Challenges of the Study 30 Conclusion 35 2. THE HISTORY OF THE JORDANIAN ―STATE IN SOCIETY‖ Introduction 38 The First Wave: Early Development, pre-1921 40 The Second Wave: The Arab Revolt and the British, 1921-1946 46 The Third Wave: Ideological and Regional Threats, 1946-1967 56 The Fourth Wave: The 1967 War and Black September, 1967-1970 61 Conclusion 66 3. SCARCE RESOURCES: THE STATE, TRIBAL POLITICS, AND OPPOSITION GROUPS Introduction 68 How Tribal Politics Work 71 State Institutions 81 iii Good Governance Challenges 92 Guests in Our Country: The Palestinian Jordanians 101 4. THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES: FAILURE OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND THE RISE OF TRIBAL POLITICS Introduction 118 Political Threats and Opportunities, 1921-1970 125 The Political Significance of Black September 139 Tribes and Parties, 1989-2007 141 The Muslim Brotherhood 146 Conclusion 152 5. -
Violent Jihad in the Netherlands
Violent Jihad in the Netherlands Current trends in the Islamist terrorist threat Violent Jihad in the Netherlands Current trends in the Islamist terrorist threat 2 Contents Foreword 5 Introduction 7 The murder of Theo van Gogh: consequences and effects 7 General trends in the development of jihadism 9 Framework of terms and definitions 10 1 From exogenous threat to home-grown terrorism 13 1.1 What is a jihadist network? 13 1.2 Historical development of network formation 15 1.2.1 The traditional phase: migration of jihadists 15 1.2.2 The proliferation phase: recruitment 16 1.2.3 The ‘home-grown’ phase: radicalisation and jihadisation 17 1.3 Three types of jihadist networks 17 2 Decentralisation and local implantation of international jihad19 2.1Al-Qaeda: from ‘network of gynetworks’ 19 to trademark and ideolo 2.2 Ideology of global violent jihad 21 2.3 Decentralisation of international jihad 22 2.4 Local implantation of international jihad 26 3 Radicalisation and the emergence of local networks 29 3.1Radicalisation, recruitment and jihadisation 29 3.2 The religious context of radicalisation 30 3.3 The socio-political context of radicalisation 33 3.4 The cultural and socio-psychological context of radicalisation 35 3.5 Emergence of local autonomous cells and networks 37 3.6 Backgrounds and functioning of local autonomous networks 38 3.7 The significance of the Hofstad network 39 4 Virtualisation of jihad 43 4.1The Internet as a propulsion of the jihad movement 43 4.2 Al-Qaeda as a virtual database (top-down) 44 4.3 The virtual umma (grass -
The Terrorism Trap: the Hidden Impact of America's War on Terror
University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 8-2019 The Terrorism Trap: The Hidden Impact of America's War on Terror John Akins University of Tennessee, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Recommended Citation Akins, John, "The Terrorism Trap: The Hidden Impact of America's War on Terror. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2019. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/5624 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by John Akins entitled "The Terrorism Trap: The Hidden Impact of America's War on Terror." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Political Science. Krista Wiegand, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Brandon Prins, Gary Uzonyi, Candace White Accepted for the Council: Dixie L. Thompson Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) The Terrorism Trap: The Hidden Impact of America’s War on Terror A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville John Harrison Akins August 2019 Copyright © 2019 by John Harrison Akins All rights reserved. -
Mcallister Bradley J 201105 P
REVOLUTIONARY NETWORKS? AN ANALYSIS OF ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN IN TERRORIST GROUPS by Bradley J. McAllister (Under the Direction of Sherry Lowrance) ABSTRACT This dissertation is simultaneously an exercise in theory testing and theory generation. Firstly, it is an empirical test of the means-oriented netwar theory, which asserts that distributed networks represent superior organizational designs for violent activists than do classic hierarchies. Secondly, this piece uses the ends-oriented theory of revolutionary terror to generate an alternative means-oriented theory of terrorist organization, which emphasizes the need of terrorist groups to centralize their operations. By focusing on the ends of terrorism, this study is able to generate a series of metrics of organizational performance against which the competing theories of organizational design can be measured. The findings show that terrorist groups that decentralize their operations continually lose ground, not only to government counter-terror and counter-insurgent campaigns, but also to rival organizations that are better able to take advantage of their respective operational environments. However, evidence also suggests that groups facing decline due to decentralization can offset their inability to perform complex tasks by emphasizing the material benefits of radical activism. INDEX WORDS: Terrorism, Organized Crime, Counter-Terrorism, Counter-Insurgency, Networks, Netwar, Revolution, al-Qaeda in Iraq, Mahdi Army, Abu Sayyaf, Iraq, Philippines REVOLUTIONARY NETWORK0S? AN ANALYSIS OF ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN IN TERRORIST GROUPS by BRADLEY J MCALLISTER B.A., Southwestern University, 1999 M.A., The University of Leeds, United Kingdom, 2003 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSPHY ATHENS, GA 2011 2011 Bradley J. -
36 BAB II AL QAEDA DAN JEJARINGNYA Pada Bab II Skripsi
BAB II AL QAEDA DAN JEJARINGNYA Pada bab II skripsi ini dibahas mengenai sejarah terbentuknya kelompok Al Qaeda. Kemudian disebutkan tentang struktur organisasi Al Qaeda dan cara perekrutan anggotanya yang disertai riwayat serangan-serangan yang telah dilakukan hingga tahun 2009, dimana tahun tersebut merupakan tahun awal analisis terkait penurunan serangan yang dilakukan Al Qaeda. Lalu akan dibahas juga tentang jejaring-jejaring Al Qaeda yang tersebar di berbagai negara dan profil beberapa tokoh yang berpengaruh di Al Qaeda. 2.1 Sejarah Terbentuknya Al Qaeda Al Qaeda yang merupakan kelompok teroris internasional ini dibentuk pada tahun 1988 oleh Osama bin Laden dengan gagasan awal dari Abdullah Azzam. Osama bin Laden adalah keturunan dari keluarga kontraktor asal Yaman yang sukses di Arab Saudi. Osama bin Laden yang lahir pada Juli 1957 tumbuh di lingkungan keluarga yang taat beribadah. Ayahnya, Mohammad Awad bin Laden mendidik Osama bin Laden dan saudara-saudaranya secara disiplin dan mengajarkan agama secara kolot (www.pbs.org/20/05/16). Seperti keluarganya yang lain, Osama bin Laden mengenyam pendidikan dasar dan menengahnya di Lebanon. Lalu melanjutkan pendidikan tinggi di Universitas King Abdul Aziz, Jeddah, Arab Saudi, mengambil jurusan bisnis manajemen. Semasa kuliah, Osama bin Laden juga berguru kepada Muhammad 36 37 Qutb, yang merupakan saudara dari tokoh pembaharu Islam, Sayyid Qutb37, dan Abdullah Azzam, yang merupakan seorang ulama Palestina dan salah satu pemimpin jihad anti-Soviet di Afghanistan (Riedel, 2008). Abdullah Azzam dilahirkan pada tahun 1941 di Desa Selat al-Harithis, sebelah utara Palestina. Dirinya bergabung dengan Muslim Brotherhood atau Ikhwanul Muslimin ketika berumur 18 tahun. Pada tahun 1967, Abdullah Azzam berangkat ke Yordania ikut serta dalam perang melawan Israel, ketika itu dirinya juga sedang belajar syariah di Universitas Al Azhar, Kairo, Mesir. -
CRSS Annual Security Report 2017
CRSS Annual Security Report 2017 Author: Muhammad Nafees Editor: Zeeshan Salahuddin Table of Contents Table of Contents ___________________________________ 3 Acronyms __________________________________________ 4 Executive Summary __________________________________ 6 Fatalities from Violence in Pakistan _____________________ 8 Victims of Violence in Pakistan________________________ 16 Fatalities of Civilians ................................................................ 16 Fatalities of Security Officials .................................................. 24 Fatalities of Militants, Insurgents and Criminals .................. 26 Nature and Methods of Violence Used _________________ 29 Key militants, criminals, politicians, foreign agents, and others arrested in 2017 ___________________________ 32 Regional Breakdown ________________________________ 33 Balochistan ................................................................................ 33 Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) ......................... 38 Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) ....................................................... 42 Punjab ........................................................................................ 47 Sindh .......................................................................................... 52 Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Islamabad, and Gilgit Baltistan (GB) ............................................................................ 59 Sectarian Violence .................................................................... 59 3 © Center