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Article Contributor: Emily Glenn, Duke University
Updated: 27 Feb. 2010

Page Outline:

1. Basic Facts
2. Origins
3. Organizational Breakdown
4. What Is Washington Doing?
5. Sources

Basic Facts

• Al-Qaeda is an international terrorist organization established in 1988 by Osama bin Laden in order to contribute to the Afghan resistance against the Soviet Union. Its religious views are Sunni Muslim fundamentalist. ¹

• Al-Qaeda’s current goal is to unite Muslims to fight the United States in order to defeat Israel, expel non-Muslims from Muslim countries, and overthrow “non-Islamic” regimes. ²

• Al-Qaeda was based in Afghanistan until the Taliban was removed in 2001 and is currently dispersed across Africa, the Middle East, and southern Asia. ³

• Al-Qaeda has cells worldwide, including countries such as the United States and Germany. US intelligence believes that Al-Qaeda’s senior leadership is currently located in the lawless regions of Pakistan, in Pakistani cities, or in Iran. ⁴

• Al-Qaeda is estimated to have several thousand members, although it is difficult to know precisely due to its decentralized nature. ⁵

• Al-Qaeda is known to be responsible for the September 11th 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the October 2000 attack on the USS Cole in the port of Aden, Yemen, and the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, among others. ⁶

• Many Muslims, even those from traditional movements such as the Salafis, are beginning to turn their backs on Al-Qaeda due to its violent techniques and slaughter of Muslims. ⁷

• The term “Al-Qaeda” means “the base”.

Origins

Al-Qaeda originally formed when a number of Muslims from around the Middle East moved to Afghanistan to support the Afghan people in the war against the Soviet Union. At the time they went by the name “Afghan Arabs”. After the war, Bin Laden formed Al-Qaeda, which was meant to be the foundation for a global Islamic army. Al-Qaeda established its base in Sudan in 1989 on invitation by the ruling regime, and set its sights on attacking the U.S. in 1992. ⁸

Organizational Breakdown

Two levels of hierarchy: the Emir and the Shura act as the leader and the cabinet respectively, while the committees are below them. The following information comes from the National Commission of Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States.⁹

• Emir (Head of Al-Qaeda): Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden founded Al-Qaeda and funded it partially through his family’s wealth. However, most of Al-Qaeda’s money comes through a comprehensive fundraising network developed through bin Laden’s many connections with rich Arabs, as his family divested him of his $300 million inheritance.
• Shura (Advisory Board): A group of advisors close to bin Laden who develop and adjust Al-Qaeda’s strategy
• Sharia (Political Committee): Group responsible for issuing fatwas (edicts claimed to be based upon Islamic Law). They often authorize violent attacks.
• Committees
  Military Committee: Group responsible for proposing and planning operations and training operatives
  Finance Committee: Group responsible for fundraising and controlling the budget
  Foreign Purchases Committee: Group responsible for buying weapons and other necessary equipment
  Security Committee: Group responsible for intelligence, counterintelligence, and physical protection
  Information Committee: Group responsible for producing and distributing propaganda

What Is Washington Doing?

Al-Qaeda’s September 11th attacks on the U.S. incited a flurry of legislation in Washington.

• HR 3162 – The Patriot Act: This act was passed easily and without amendment on October 26, 2001 in response to Al-Qaeda’s attacks on the U.S. The Patriot Act heightens the ability of authorities to detain and deport immigrants suspected of terror involvement, includes domestic terrorism in the definition of terrorism allowing the Patriot Act to be applied to a greater number of activities, makes it easier for law enforcement to search telephone, email, and other records, and grants the Secretary of the Treasury greater latitude in regulating financial transactions. ¹⁰
• HR 3525 – United States Border Security Bill: This bill was passed on April 28, 2002. It calls for the increase of Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) investigators and the interagency sharing of immigration related information. ¹¹
• S.1447 – Aviation and Transportation Security Act: This bill was passed on November 16, 2001. It calls for the strengthening of the cockpit door and requires that the cockpit door remain locked in flight, requires a flight marshal on every flight thought to present high security risks, imposes a small fee (up to $2.50) on passengers of all air carriers in order to pay for the aviation security services, allows the President to compensate air carriers for losses as a result of the Al-Qaeda terrorist attacks, and allows the pilot of a passenger aircraft to carry a gun, among many other improvements. ¹²
• S.J.RES.23 – Authorization for Use of Military Force – This act was passed on September 14, 2001. It allows the President to use necessary force against all involved in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. ¹³
• The U.S. invaded Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks partially to free the Afghan people from the Taliban regime and partially to remove Al-Qaeda bases and sanctuaries. ¹⁴
• On April 23, 2009, Senator Robert Casey introduced bill S.894 that would “provide for an annual comprehensive report on the status of United States efforts and the level of progress achieved to counter and defeat Al Qaeda and its related affiliated and undermine long-term support for the violent extremism that helps sustain Al Qaeda’s recruitment efforts.”  This bill has not yet been passed. ¹⁵

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Sources