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Description
Established by Usama Bin Ladin (a.k.a. Osama bin Laden, Osam Bin Laden) about 1990 to
bring together Arabs who fought in Afghanistan against the Soviet
invasion. Helped finance, recruit, transport, and train Sunni Islamic
extremists for the Afghan resistance. Current goal is to "reestablish
the Muslim state" throughout the world. Works with allied Islamic
extremist groups to overthrow regimes it deems "non-Islamic" and remove
Westerners from Muslim countries. Issued statement under banner of "The
World Islamic Front for Jihad Against The Jews and Crusaders" in
February 1998, saying it was the duty of all Muslims to kill US
citizens, civilian or military, and their allies everywhere.
Activities
Conducted the bombings in August 1998 of the US
Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, that killed at
least 301 persons and injured more than 5,000 others. Claims to have
shot down US helicopters and killed US servicemen in Somalia in 1993 and
to have conducted three bombings targeted against the US troop presence
in Aden, Yemen, in December 1992. Linked to plans for attempted
terrorist operations, including the assassination of the Pope during his
visit to Manila in late 1994, simultaneous bombings of the US and
Israeli Embassies in Manila and other Asian capitals in late 1994, the
midair bombing of a dozen US trans-Pacific flights in 1995, and a plan
to kill President Clinton during a visit to the Philippines in early
1995. Continues to train, finance, and provide logistic support to
terrorist groups that support these goals.
On 9/11/2001, opeatives hijacked four commerical airliners and
essentially turned them into guided missiles loaded with huge
quantities of jet fuel. Two were flown into the two towers of the
World Trade Center, another flow into the side of the Pentagon, and a
fourth appears to have been intended for somewhere else in Washington,
D.C. but passengers may have broken up that plot. Al-Qaida's Bin
Laden, in a message
first broadcast over radical Islamic sympathetic television stations
took credit for the bombings and claimed the pilots and henchmen
(typically three total operatives per aircraft) were matryrs.
Several other major attacks have occurred from groups claiming to be working with Al-Qaida, including a nightclub bombing in Octoberr of 2002 believed to have been executed by Jemiahh Islam (JI) and a long series of continuing attacks in Iraq by Tanzim Qa'idat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn (QJBR) led by Jordanian Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq. Counterterrorism officials noted the nightclub bombings were on the anniversary of another attack, the attack on the U.S. Navy warship, the U.S.S. Cole in the waters off Yemen in October of 2000.
Strength
May have several hundred to several thousand
members. Also serves as a focal point for a loose network or umbrella
organization that includes many Sunni Islamic extremist groups,
including factions of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, the Gama'at
al-Islamiyya, and the Harakat ul-Mujahidin.
Location/Area of Operation
The Embassy bombings in Nairobi
and Dar es Salaam underscore al-Qaida's global reach. Bin Ladin and his
key lieutenants reside in Afghanistan and the group maintains terrorist
training camps there.
External Aid
Bin
Ladin, son of a billionaire Saudi family, is said to have inherited
around $300 million that he uses to finance the group. Al-Qaida also
maintains moneymaking businesses, collects donations from like-minded
supporters, and illicitly siphons funds from donations to Muslim
charitable organizations. While his family claims to have broken
all ties with him, there is speculation that all of his funds were
taken before his ostracization.
Further Reading: