Islamic Political Thought

The Structure and Tactics of al-Qaeda: Continuity and Change

Document Type : Research Article (International Relation)

Author

Assistant Professor of Political Sciences Faculty at Imam Sadiq University

Abstract

Following the events of September 11, 2001, the name of the al-Qaeda organization, as the terrorist group leading to attacks, quickly spread all around the world, and this group and its leaders and activists were prosecuted. The organization, rooted in Salafi and fundamentalist extremist thoughts, has always been supported by the West and the United States during the Cold War because of his struggle against the Red Army in Afghanistan. But the end of the Cold War and the spread of al-Qaeda’s thoughts to other Islamic countries, as well as the meaning crisis of the end of the Cold War, gradually led to the introduction of this group and similar organizations as enemies and fighting against radicalization of Western policy in the region. However, the war in Afghanistan caused the country to become insecure for al-Qaeda, and they scattered more than before in other countries of the region. The Iraq war also conducted part of these forces to Iraq to fight the Americans. Al-Qaeda has been struggling to rebuild itself all around the world, including western countries, since September 11, taking its flexible network structure into account and has put new tactics on its agenda. The present article examines the ideology and structure of this organization and the changes and continuity of its behavioral pattern and its operation.

Keywords

Main Subjects

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Islamic Political Thought
Volume 5, Issue 2
October 2018
Pages 1-20
  • Receive Date: 10 September 2017
  • Revise Date: 15 October 2017
  • Accept Date: 07 November 2017