Al Qaeda
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Al Qaeda is worldwide militant Islamist organization that was created by Osama bin Laden together with Abdullah Azzam among others. The organization was formed around the year 1988. The origin of the organization can be traced back to the Arab volunteers, that is, who took part in fight against the Soviet (Nicos Passas & Framis Gimenez-Salinas, 2007). It carries out its activities as a network that is comprised of a Wahhabi jihadist, extremist, Islamist group and multinational, stateless army. This organization has been given the name “terrorist group” by some countries and organizations. Examples of these organizations and countries are United States, the United Nations Security Council, Russia, and India among others. Many attacks have been carried out by this organization, especially on targets it considers to be a kafir.
Bin Laden together with other members of the organization decided to capitalize on this network that they had created so as to take jihad globally. The major objective was to build a vanguard comprising off elite fighter or soldiers who could play a significant role when it comes to leading the global jihad project and bringing together the many small jihad groups that are struggling, such as those jihad groups that are struggling against their current regime, but under a single umbrella. Around mid-1990s al Qaeda’s leader, Osama Bin Laden had a plan of reorienting the movement as a whole. The aim of reorienting the movement was to direct more focus of what was believed to be a bigger enemy that underwriting all the local regimes that were believed to be corrupt. This bigger enemy was the United States. All local jihadists that were pledging allegiance to this movement together with its leader and ready to adopt al Qaeda brand were to get access to a wide range of this from the large organization, that is, al Qaeda. Some of the things that these small organizations were going to obtain were training, expertise, logistics support, weapons, money, and assets.
The ideology of this organization is believed to be linked to Islamic movement and Islamic revival of the last three decades of the 20th century. It has been argued that Al Qaeda would have never existed without the writing of Islamic thinker and author known as Sayyid Qutb. The preaching of Qutb inspired this movement, that is, around 1950s-60s. Qutb preached that the Muslim world was no longer Muslim due to lack of sharia laws. He went ahead to state that a vanguard movement that is made up of righteous Muslims was required. This movement was to be one that will help establish true Islamic states. This was going to be possible through implementation of sharia laws and get rid of non-Muslim influences in the Muslim world. An example of -Muslim influences are concepts like nationalism and socialism. Enemies of Islam as per Qutb are wickedly opposed Islam, world Jewry, who plotted conspiracies, and treacherous Orientalists. These words of Qutb had great influence on Bin Laden and other members of the movement. He also influenced the mentor of Bin Laden together with another leading member of Al Qaeda (Ayman al-Zawahiri). One of the most powerful ideas brought up by Qutb is that many people who argue that they are Muslims are not (National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, 2004). They are just apostates. This idea gave jihadists a legal loophole related to prohibition of killing another Muslim and also created a religious obligation with regards to executing self-professed Muslims. Some of the alleged apostates were leaders of Muslim countries. They argued that these leaders had failed to enforce sharia laws.
Information that was mostly gotten from Jamal al-Fadl gave American authorities some rough insight with regards to how the group is organized. Most of the current knowledge with regards to Al Qaeda was based n the testimony given to American authorities by Jamal al-Fadl. Osama Bin Laden turns out to be the most historically notable Senior Operations Chief and commander of the group. Another term that was given to him was emir. This is before being assassinated on May 1, 2011, by US forces. After the death of Osama Bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was al-Qaeda’s Deputy Operations Chief before to bin Laden’s death, took over the role of commander. This is as per an announcement that was made on June 16, 2011, by al Qaeda. Ayman al-Zawahiri replaced Saif al-Adel, who served as interim commander after the death of bin Laden. Osama bin Laden has advised a council termed as Shura Council. Shura Council was made up of senior al Qaeda members. It is believed that this council has approximately 20-30 individuals. Atiyah Abd al-Rahman was believed to be second in command, but this is before his death on August 22, 2011. In the year 2011, an announcement made by Pakistan intelligence showed that the successor to al-Rahman was killed in Pakistan, that is, Abu Yahya al-Libi. Another individual believed to be second in command, Nasir al-Wuhayshi, was allegedly killed in an air strike that was carried out by the United States. This was in June 2015. Nasir al-Wuhayshi was the leader of Al Qaeda in Yemen.
Al Qaeda gets its finances from a wide range of activities. The United States has for a long time tries to eradicate sources of terrorist funding. Below are some of the funding for the organization:
Fundraisers
Since its creation, this organization has always been carrying out some fund raisers aimed at soliciting money from many donors. A large group donor for the organization is based in the Gulf Area, especially Saudi Arabia. But there are donors in other parts of the world. There are those donors who are aware of where their money is going, but there are others who are not aware. A lot of contribution is made to money collectors. Other funds come from employees who are corrupt, especially those who work in some charitable organizations.
Charitable organizations
Charities organizations have some characteristics that make them vulnerable to exploitation when it comes to financing terrorism. Charities enjoy public confidence, and they have access to a lot of resources. The resources are normally in the form of cash. From the time it was created, Al Qaeda has been using charitable organizations to finance its activities. The charities make it possible for this organization together with others to collect, transfer, and distribute some of its funds for activities of indoctrination, recruitment, and training (Hoffman, Jones, Kagan, Kagan, Mahnken, & Zimmerman, 2015). They also make it possible for the organization to meet operational and logistical requirements. Charity is of the primary principle of the Islamic religion. This means that all the people that have a certain amount of money should pay zakat (2.5 percent annually of savings and assets). The strategy that has been adopted by Al Qaeda is to have as many as possible employees in charities so that they can divert cash from the charities’ social programs or legitimate humanitarian towards its illicit activities.
Offshore companies and entities
There are commercial companies that are being used by the organization to finance it activities and transfer funds. One good example of this organization is Barakaat, which is a network of entities. In the year 2001, Barakaat had been operating in 40 countries. It is operating a number of activities, such as telecommunications, money remittance, construction, and cash exchange services. This is from the United States to Somalia. Osama bin Laden has been using Barakaat so much to make cash transfers. This is because he had invested his money in the telecommunication network of the company. Barakaat acted as a good source of financing for Osama. it also played a good role of making possible to transfer some cash. Most of the transactions of Osama bin Laden were carried out between Nairobi, Mombasa, Dubai, and Mogadishu. These transactions were interlinked with transfers carried out in the name of non-governmental organizations, such as the International Islamic Relief and Al Haramain organization.
Drug trafficking together with other crimes
Al Qaeda taxes proceeds from drugs. Several points that are responsible for heroine business in Afghanistan are extorted. Poppy farmers, laboratories that process the drugs and traffickers who transport the drugs are taxed. This organization also plays a role when it comes to raising taxes for legitimate businesses that are planning to operate in Afghanistan.
Members of the Al-Qaeda are trained by the military committee. This committee has the role of training operatives, planning attacks, and acquiring weapons. The money/business committee funds training and recruitment of operatives. These two committees have been found to provide air tickets together with false passports, oversee profit-driven businesses, and pay all Al Qaeda members.
The main through which Al Qaeda uses when communication with its operatives and allies in Turkey are through face-to-face conversation, telephone, couriers, proclaiming attacks in mass media, and the Internet. One of the safe means of communication and clear utilized by the organization is face-to-face communication. High-level Al Qaeda members prefer this form of communication. This takes place through meeting at the home of a companion or meeting at a specified location. There are times when members meet at social activities. Communication by courier is done through individuals who deliver mails and packages. Most of the courier people are always members of the organization who deliver secret or open notes, money, instructions, weapons, and other items. There are local members of the group that uses the Internet, such as chat rooms. Higher management does not prefer this form of communication. Telephone communications are always carried out through telephone networks of international companies that run telephone shops.
Most reports related to Al Qaeda chemical weapons efforts show that the group is interested in acquiring and producing chemical weapons. As per the Encyclopedia of Jihad, that is, 11th volume, there is information related to how to construct biological and chemical weapons. Furthermore, Osama used to state that acquiring weapons, chemical, and nuclear weapons, is a religious duty of a Muslim. In an interview that was carried out in the year 2001, Osama bin Laden stated that the organization has nuclear and chemical weapons. The organization stated that it was ready to use the weapon to counteract attacks from the United States. Proof related to the organization being in possession of a chemical weapon was evident videotape depicting cyanide being experimented on dogs (United Nations, 2009). There are other reports which are stating that this organization is planning to use osmium tetroxide, sarin, and cyanide against a large number of people. The delivery method it through releasing the gas to the are being targeted, such as transportation hubs, government building, and shopping centers among other areas.
A total of six major attacks has been carried out by Al Qaeda. Out of the six, four are against the United States. All of its attacks are always planned years in advance. There is arranging for shipment of explosives and weapons and the use of its private businesses to offer its operatives with false identities and safe houses. Most of the attacks are through detonation of bombs while there are times when suicide bombers are also used. With regards to its propaganda, the organization has claimed to play a role in many terror attacks that have taken place in many countries. There are times that it claims not to be involved in certain attacks, but gives a motivational message to the groups responsible.
Al Qaeda surveillance technique is based on shattered building glass, extolling the lethal power with regards to flying, assessing potential targets, and advising on methods that are effective for a deadly arson attack. The focus of this is on exploiting killing and destruction power of attack. A terrorist attack had been planned by this organization early this year in the United States, but terror threat levels were raised. The group was targeting several building, such as high-profile financial facilities in the country.
References
Hoffman, B., Jones, S., Kagan, F. W., Kagan, K., Mahnken, T., & Zimmerman, K. (2015). A
Global Strategy for Combating al Qaeda and the Islamic State.
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. (2004). Monograph on
Terrorist Financing, Staff Report to the Commission. Washington, DC, p.13, [http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/staff_statements/]
Nicos Passas & A. Framis Gimenez-Salinas. (2007). “The Financing of Al Qaida’s Terrorism:
Myths and Realities”, Review of Penal and Criminal Law, 2nd Semester, no.19, p.511.
United Nations. (2009). Tenth Report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Implementation
Monitoring Team submitted pursuant to Resolution 1822 (2008) Concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities. New York: United Nations, note 47, p.22.
