Blowback && Penetrating Al-Qaeda

Blowback - Al-Qaeda
Published 26 July 2001

During the 1980s, resistance fighters in Afghanistan developed a world-wide recruitment and support network with the aid of the USA, Saudi Arabia and other states. After the 1989 Soviet withdrawal, this network, which equipped, trained and funded thousands of Muslim fighters, came under the control of Osama bin Laden. In light of evidence from the recently completed US embassy bombing trials, Phil Hirschkorn, Rohan Gunaratna, Ed Blanche, and Stefan Leader examine the genesis, operational methods and organisational structure of the Bin Laden network: Al-Qaeda.

Al-Qaeda ('The Base') is a conglomerate of groups spread throughout the world operating as a network. It has a global reach, with a presence in Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, Jordan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Syria, Xinjiang in China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Mindanao in the Philippines, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Yemen, Libya, Tunisia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Chechnya, Dagestan, Kashmir, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Azerbaijan, Eritrea, Uganda, Ethiopia, and in the West Bank and Gaza.

Since its creation in 1988, Osama bin Laden has controlled Al-Qaeda. As such, he is both the backbone and the principal driving force behind the network. . . .

. . . Vertically, Al-Qaeda is organised with Bin Laden, the emir-general, at the top, followed by other Al-Qaeda leaders and leaders of the constituent groups. Horizontally, it is integrated with 24 constituent groups. The vertical integration is formal, the horizontal integration, informal. Immediately below Bin Laden is the Shura majlis, a consultative council. Four committees - military, religio-legal, finance, and media - report to the majlis. Handpicked members of these committees - especially the military committee - conduct special assignments for Bin Laden and his operational commanders. To preserve operational effectiveness at all levels, compartmentalisation and secrecy are paramount.

While the organisation has evolved considerably since the embassy bombings, the basic structure of the consultative council and the four committees remains intact. Bin Laden's intention to expand his operations has been curbed by the post-bombing security environment, and both Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda have become increasingly clandestine.

Penetrating Al-Qaeda
Published 14 September 2001

Yesterday, US Secretary of State Colin Powell named Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda network as the prime suspect in the hunt for those responsible for Tuesday's attack on the USA. However, a number of factors will make the penetration of Al-Qaeda difficult, perhaps explaining why there was little warning of this attack.

Al-Qaeda’s operations are not carried out by one group led by one person, but are rather conducted by different groups with support and guidance from Al-Qaeda. The operational groups and Al-Qaeda are linked – not through direct chains of command, but by common experience in the fight against Russia in Afghanistan and a common belief in a pan-Islamic identity, and by the communication of experience and funds.

For these reasons, a static and formalised structure that could be penetrated by intelligence agencies does not necessarily exist. After the US embassy bombings it is believed that Al-Qaeda cut down on the number of people with knowledge of operations, further increasing the difficulties of gaining intelligence on potential attacks. Furthermore, it may not have been necessary for the operational cadres that carried out the hijackings to be in contact with those members of Al-Qaeda that have no doubt been under close surveillance by intelligence agencies.

Finally, an attack of this kind, which did not require the acquisition of explosives or those items commonly associated with improvised explosive devices, such as gas cylinders or certain chemicals, does not provide some of the warnings that other attacks can provide.

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