The Al Qaeda Organization

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the development and structure of the Al Qaeda Organization. It begins by describing the background of Al Qaeda's leader, Osama bin Laden. It then looks at how bin Laden set up the structure of the organization and how it functions today. The paper concludes that Al Qaeda represents one of the greatest threats to world security.

From the Paper:

"Al Qaeda, as with many other terrorist organizations, has a much elaborated way of functioning. Almost every detail is severely controlled by its leaders, starting from funding, without which the organization's purposes could not be reached, until recruitment and training. Certainly the center element of Al Qaeda is played by its ideology, which is strongly against the expansion of Western powers towards the Muslim world. However strange it might seem Al Qaeda manages to attract supporters from all over the world, irrespective of their religion but united by the common hatred against US and Western countries. Still, the organization's center ideology is based on the Muslim religion and jihad, in which Al Qaeda finds explanation for its actions. However, the organization must be viewed as an extremist terrorist organization that does not represent the Muslim world."

Sample of Sources Used:

• ABUZA Zacharia, Funding Terrorism in Southeast Asia: The Financial Network of Al Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah, available at http://www.nbr.org/publications/analysis/pdf/vol14no5.pdf;
• BLANCHARD, C.M., "Al Qaeda: Statements and evolving ideology", CRS Report for Congress, updated January 2006;
• BORGER, Julian in Washington and John HOOPER in Berlin, "Trail links Bin Laden aide to hijackers", in The Guardian, October 1, 2001, available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/waronterror/story/0,1361,561000,00.html;
• CRONIN, Audrey Kurth, Huda ADEN, Adam FROST, and Benjamin JONES, Foreign Terrorist Organizations, February 2004, available at http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RL32223.pdf;
• CRONIN, Audrey Kurth, "Al Qaeda after the Iraq Conflict", May 23, 2003, CRS Report for the Congress, available at http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RS21529.pdf;

More papers on The Al Qaeda Organization:

• Research Paper # 93114 : "Al-Qaeda's Terror Network"
• Analytical Essay # 83870 : "Al Qaeda "
• Analytical Essay # 70560 : "Al-Qaeda "

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