Homeland and Intelligence Security: Strengths and Capabilities

Background 

The formation and establishment of the Al-Qaeda terrorist group date back to the early 1980’s when the Russian Armed Forces launched operations in Afghanistan. The Afghan tribal warriors handed the Russian Army a humiliating defeat. One of the key figures in the war against the Russians was Osama bin Laden, a Saudi national from an affluent family. The family of Osama had vast resources and wealth amassed from the building and construction industry. Osama, an extremist with the tendency of emotional disconnect, joined the holy war, also referred to as Jihad to drive the Russian forces out of Afghanistan lands. At that time, Russian was a formidable and robust army with advanced resources and military personnel; however, a ragtag and disorganized militia defeated the forces (Blanchard, 2014). The victory against the Russians inspired Osama bin Laden and Muhammad Atef to form Al-Qaeda, a terrorist organization that grew exponentially to cause havoc in various parts of the world. 

Al-Qaeda had two headquarters, one in Peshawar, Pakistan, and another in Afghanistan between 1989 and 1991. Due to growing international pressures, Al-Qaeda was banished from its strong bases of Afghanistan and Pakistan to Sudan. In Sudan, the key figure synonymous with the organization was Osama bin Laden. Osama steadily rose to be a community role model and made many friends with the Sudanese politician due to the investments in community development projects. The founding principles of Al Qaeda are predicated on the experiences of Osama bin Laden. Osama was brought up exposed to teachings of conservative Islamist scholars in his hometown of Saudi Arabia. As such, Osama had a strong belief in the establishment of puritanical Salafist Islamic reforms in the majority of the Muslim nations (Blanchard, 2014). The theological and ideological foundations of the belief also took a political dimension regarding the geopolitical aggressions that characterized the majority of nations in the Middle East. Thus, the second goal of the organization was to protect Muslim societies from external aggression sponsored by foreign nations. 

Most of the attacks that have been credited to Al Qaeda resulted after the “Declaration of Jihad” against the US and its allies. In many instances, the attacks have targeted US interests both at home and abroad. The proxy wars between Al Qaeda and the US have seen multiple attacks in different countries that are deemed friendly to the US. Bin Laden declared his interest in ensuring that the US troops withdrew from the Saudi Arabian soil at all costs. Bin Laden criticized the royal family for collaborating with the foreign troops by inviting them to the Arabian Peninsula. According to Bin Laden, such actions constituted a flagrant disregard for the sanctity of Islam origin and utter betrayal of the Islamic communities (Blanchard, 2014). With the rhetoric and efforts to demonize the foreign troops failing to attract any intervention from the Saudi leaders, Osama was eventually expelled from Saudi Arabia. After the expulsion, Osama bin Laden focused more on the US. 

Ideologies and Objectives 

The radical views of Bin Laden sharpened during his stay in exile. The declaration of Jihad elevated Bin Laden onto a pedestal of world recognition. Bin Laden describes the enemies of Islam to include an organization of Jews, Christians, and their operatives. Bin Laden was able to appeal to potential recruits and radical minds by alluding to the sensitive historical and religious descriptions of Islamic resistance to European invasions and crusades. Bin Laden accused the US of being behind massacres in places like Kashmir, Chechnya, Ogaden, Tajikistan, Burma, and Eritrea for which the US must be pay (Blanchard, 2014). Bin Laden believed that the attacks on Muslim communities in the mentioned areas were a growing trend and deliberate move to suppress Islam and the US was directly or indirectly involved in planning, funding, and execution of the atrocities. 

After the declaration of Jihad, Osama Bin Laden released a series of statements regarding the vision and scope of the impending self-declared conflict with the US (Blanchard, 2014). Furthermore, Bin Laden specified his political structures and aspirations for the Islamic nations. Seemingly, Bin Laden asserts his views from Huntington’s theory, which describes the clash of civilization. By basing his arguments on the theory, Bin Laden emphasizes the notion that America has new crusade aimed at destroying Islamic nations. As such, Bin Laden argues that the aggression can only be handled when all the Islamic nations join hands to fight the aggressor. In this case, a global community of Islamic nation or umma will unite and defend themselves. The umma will be governed through Islamic laws and Islamic dictates on finance and social order (Blanchard, 2014). A chosen leader will rule the pious caliphate. From this angle, Bin Laden was trying to establish himself as a pious leader who would bring sanity in the disorganized Muslim world. It must be noted that an establishment of the Islamic caliphate was an idea that appealed to radical minds only as many of the nations targeted in the campaigns had stable leadership based on moderate Islamic laws. 

The attacks that Al Qaeda has waged on the US and its allies have been changing over the years. For example, each attack signifies a new goal or objectives. The attacks on the US embassy in Kenya and Tanzania that led to the deaths of 224 people were a preparation for a much larger attack that was looming. The threats against the US came to fruition on September 11, 2001, when the Pentagon in Washington DC and World Trade Center in New York were destroyed by hijacked planes leading to loss of over 3000 lives, the largest number since the Pearl Harbor invasion. According to the statement released by Sayf al Adl, the attacks had three main goals. The first objective was retaliation for America’s perceived continuous aggression in Islamic nations. The second objective was to highlight the emergence of the virtuous leadership of the organization that was committed to opposing the US and its allies for committing a litany of political and social ills in the Islamic societies. The third objective was to provoke the US into joining the war. The Al Qaeda believed that the US would expose when it engages in war with Islamic nations that were hosting the organization. This particular objective was achieved as the US administration declared war with Al Qaeda. The mission of Al Qaeda was to remain credible and amass support throughout the Islamic nations. 

Leadership of Al-Qaeda 

For the longest time, the leadership of Al-Qaeda was under Osama Bin Laden. However, Osama was killed in a raid conducted by the US navy seals in Abbottabad, Pakistan in 2011 (Reuters, 2011). As a charismatic and visionary leader, the death of Bin Laden was a huge blow to the Al Qaeda. His deputy, an Egyptian born physician Ayman al Zawahiri, filled the leadership void. Under the leadership of al Zawahiri, the organization has plummeted into near extinction due to emerging factors. Perhaps, the emergence of ISIS has overshadowed the organization that was one feared globally ISIS, another organization that shares the same ideology as Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in Syria and Iraq. The change in leadership and emergence of revitalized terrorist organizations such as ISIS has challenged the global position of Al-Qaeda. 

Apart from the known leader of Al Qaeda, al Zawahiri, the organization has an advanced leadership structure. For instance, the leaders and commanders of the organization have delegated roles in recruitment, logistic, special operations, weapon, and explosive manufacturing, finance, and public relations. All the leaders are tasked with ensuring that the departments are working effectively. With the war on ISIS having diverted the attention of the US and its allies on Al Qaeda, reports are emerging that the organization is steadily regrouping and a resurgence can occur any time (Reuters, 2011). Prevention measures can start by ensuring that various leaders are arrested, convicted, or eliminated. In other words, dealing with the threat from Al Qaeda requires the same strategy the US has been using over the years, that is capturing the top leaders rendering the organization, functionally paralyzed. 

Funding 

The sustenance and survival of the terrorist organization depend on the financial reserves. The organizations require money to recruit, train and pay its fighters, buy weapons and other accessories and finance other aspects of the operations. Al Qaeda has mainly obtained its funding from sympathizers (Gray, 2015). Individuals who are sympathetic to its course have contributed money to finance the operations of the organization. Such include small individual donations and fundraisers. Additionally, some corporations have been accused of funding terrorist organizations. An elaborate scheme has been unearthed in which large corporations in conjunction with banks launder money for terrorist organizations. It is a known fact that Al Qaeda has had good relations with the Taliban of Afghanistan. As such, the organization has benefitted directly or indirectly from the opium trade that is a source of income for Taliban militia. 

Al Qaeda also receives support from other affiliated terrorist organizations such as the Al Shabaab that operates in Somalia. The organization used to control strategic locations in the county such as the Port of Kismayu before Kenyan forces drove out them. The port was a source of funding for the organization considering the lucrative charcoal trade that was going on. As Al Shabaab pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda, then it is obvious it would fill the financial demands of the parent organization (Gray, 2015). Lastly, the organization receives funds through racketeering and extortion. 

Strengths and Capabilities 

The strength of Al-Qaeda is based on its financial resources and assets. The organization prides itself of numerous light and heavy weaponry that can challenge the most advanced technologies that countries like the US and Russia have (Gray, 2015). Again, the organization has the human capital to conduct the operations successfully. Al Qaeda has all the professions in its ranks including medical doctors, engineers, computer scientists, logistics experts, and intelligence experts. It means that before Al Qaeda conducts an operation, they exhaust the human capital to explore the feasibility and the likely outcome. Most of the major attacks by the organization have been successful due to the level and sophistication of planning. 

The organization has set its training bases in locations that are remote and inaccessible to the general population. Most of the training bases are in mountainous deserts of Afghanistan. The organization also has secret training bases in areas where they have their operatives such as Somalia, Egypt, and Libya. Due to the clandestine nature of the group, it is difficult to unravel to training bases in the nations with few resources to combat terrorism and extremism (Gray, 2015). As such, an organization like Al Qaeda thrives well in lawless or unstable nations such as Libya, Iraq, Syria, and Somalia. 

The organization derives its strength from the operatives who are embedded in the government. Al Qaeda has its members embedded in the government agencies such as the police and the army. Some of the operatives have a higher clearance level meaning that they can get unfettered access to classified information that they can leak for further action depending on the goals of the mission. For example, one of the planners of 1998 Embassy bombing in Kenya and Tanzania Sergeant Ali Mohamed admitted to visiting the Nairobi Embassy to access its suitability as a terrorist target. Mohamed had previously served in the US Army. 

The Al Qaeda has advanced training program similar to that of national armies. The organization has some defectors from national armies who have vast experience in military training. The training program is comprehensive including physical training, use of different types of weapon, special operation, the design of improvised explosive devices, and suicide missions. For instance, in the attack against the US embassies in Kenya, a truck full of explosives was driven to the facility disguised as food aid (Gray, 2015). The operatives in the target area deliver most of the explosives. Again, depending on the target, Al Qaeda can use suicide bombers to execute the operation. 

Before the attack, the organization sends its agent to assess the target area and identify weak spots that can be exploited. Such include assessing the security procedures, equipment, and blind spot. The surveillance methods also include testing the readiness of the security personnel to contain an attack by stage-managing a threat. Lastly, the organization uses propaganda to sway the audience. Al Qaeda periodically releases statements in audio or video format displaying bravado in their mission to remain credible among its sympathizer (Associated Press, 2015). Some of the gory images and videos are scare tactic that the propaganda achieves through denigration and demoralization of the public. The organization has a growing concern about the infiltration of security operatives in the communication channels they use. As such, Al Qaeda encourages its operatives to use programs that can find their IP address or give fake phone numbers when registering on sites (Associated Press, 2015). Conclusively, the attack planning by Al Qaeda follows significant dates such as the anniversary of 9/11 or any event that leads to the congregation of many people. 

References 

Associated Press. (2015, March 20). Al Qaeda, terrorists changing communication methods after NSA leaks, US officials say . Retrieved from https://www.foxnews.com/us/al-qaeda-terrorists-changing-communication-methods-after-nsa-leaks-us-officials-say 

Blanchard, C. (2014, July 9). Al Qaeda: statements and evolving ideology. Retrieved from https://fas.org/sgp/crs/terror/RL32759.pdf 

Gray, J. (2015).  Al Qaeda and what it means to be modern (Vol. 2). Faber & Faber 

Reuters. (2011, May 2). TIMELINE - Major attacks by Al Qaeda . Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-56711920110502