• Why Jihad Watch?
  • About Robert Spencer and Staff Writers
  • FAQ
  • Books
  • Muhammad
  • Islam 101
  • Privacy

Jihad Watch

Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

The Changing Threat of Al-Qaeda

Jan 14, 2004 9:25 am By Robert Spencer

From The Independent of Banjul, Gambia comes this assessment of Al-Qaeda current condition: “Today, al-Qaeda is in a period of transition, having temporarily lost its operating base, Afghanistan, and its sponsor, the Taliban. More significantly, its organizational effectiveness has been dented by the deaths or captures of so many of its operational leaders, members and key supporters. Yet despite the dismantling of its training and operational infrastructure in Afghanistan, al-Qaeda is adapting by seeking to establish bases elsewhere and therefore remains a serious, immediate and direct threat.”

What’s more, “that threat is not aimed just at Western ‘infidel’ governments. The latest attacks in Riyadh and Istanbul are proof that Muslim governments are also under attack.” Or at least governments that are not Muslim enough for Al-Qaeda’s liking.

“The hardening of United States and other Western targets following the attacks of September 11, 2001, has changed al-Qaeda’s tactics. Although it has suffered as an organization, it still maintains its vanguard status among extremist Islamist movements. It is still able to set the ideological and operational agenda for at least three dozen foreign Islamist groups it trained and financed during the last decade. It now relies heavily on these associated groups to sustain its fight.

“A real international Islamist movement is emerging, according to Diha Rashwan, an Egyptian expert on Islamist groups. ‘Without having the same organizational structure, multiple Islamist movements, if not individuals, who share the same ideology and objectives with al-Qaeda are acting in the style of Usama bin Laden’s network without being linked to it, and even less, receiving orders to carry out a specific attack,’ he said recently.

“Much of the international terrorist movement’s trail of destruction has been wrought by men who returned to their homelands from Afghan camps. Their fingerprints can be found on nearly every major attack since September 11. They are Arabs, Germans, Indonesians, Malaysians, Pakistanis, Chechens and Middle Easterners – Some 15,000 to 20,000 men in all, counter terrorism experts believe – who fled Afghanistan for points unknown, popping up every few months to show the world what they have learned.

“That trail of destruction is now concentrated on Muslim countries. One reason is the hardening of Western targets. Another, possible more important, reason has been that bin Ladin and Ayman Zawahiri, his second-in-command, have spread the word to shift the fight to ‘the heart of the Islamic world, which represents the true arena of the battle and the theatre of the major battles in defense of Islam.’ Tunisia, Morocco, Indonesia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia are among the Muslim countries that have suffered attacks.

“Authorities believe the truck bombing of an ancient synagogue on the Tunisian resort island of Djerba in April 2002 was planned directly by al-Qaeda’s former number three man, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who was arrested in Pakistan in March.

“After five nearly simultaneous suicide attacks on Jewish and Spanish targets in Casablanca on May 16, 900 people were arrested. At least 100 of them told interrogators they had received training in Afghanistan and at trial 20 confessed openly to having received ‘combat training against the enemies of Islam and apostates.’

“Jemaah Islamiyah, the Southeast Asian terror network believed to be behind the October 2002 Bali bombing, which killed 202 people, and the August 5 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, which killed a dozen, has direct links to al-Qaeda that go back years. Hambali, the group’s alleged operations chief who was arrested in August in Thailand, trained in al-Qaeda’s Camp Saddah in Afghanistan in the 1980s.” (Thanks to Jean-Luc.)

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Follow me on Facebook

Filed Under: Al-Qaeda


Learn more about RevenueStripe...

FacebookYoutubeTwitterLog in

Subscribe to the Jihad Watch Daily Digest

You will receive a daily mailing containing links to the stories posted at Jihad Watch in the last 24 hours.
Enter your email address to subscribe.

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!
If you are forwarding to a friend, please remove the unsubscribe buttons first, as they my accidentally click it.

Subscribe to all Jihad Watch posts

You will receive immediate notification.
Enter your email address to subscribe.
Note: This may be up to 15 emails a day.

Donate to JihadWatch
FrontPage Mag

Search Site

Translate

The Team

Robert Spencer in FrontPageMag
Robert Spencer in PJ Media

Articles at Jihad Watch by
Robert Spencer
Hugh Fitzgerald
Christine Douglass-Williams
Andrew Harrod
Jamie Glazov
Daniel Greenfield

Contact Us

Terror Attacks Since 9/11

Archives

  • 2020
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2019
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2018
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2017
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2016
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2015
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2014
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2013
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2012
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2011
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2010
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2009
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2008
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2007
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2006
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2005
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2004
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2003
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • March

All Categories

You Might Like

Learn more about RevenueStripe...

Recent Comments

  • gravenimage on Uighur leader: ‘We’re actually quite worried’ about what Biden might let China get away with
  • OLD GUY on Iranian top dogs approve bill to end UN nuclear inspections, increase enrichment
  • gravenimage on Uighur leader: ‘We’re actually quite worried’ about what Biden might let China get away with
  • OLD GUY on UK: Woman converts to Islam, distributes Islamic State jihad terror videos
  • OLD GUY on Al-Qaeda Calls on Jihadis to Kill Non-Muslims With Poisoned Coronavirus Masks

Popular Categories

dhimmitude Sharia Jihad in the U.S ISIS / Islamic State / ISIL Iran Free Speech

Robert Spencer FaceBook Page

Robert Spencer Twitter

Robert Spencer twitter

Robert Spencer YouTube Channel

Books by Robert Spencer

Jihad Watch® is a registered trademark of Robert Spencer in the United States and/or other countries - Site Developed and Managed by Free Speech Defense

Content copyright Jihad Watch, Jihad Watch claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to their respective owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and you do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

Our mailing address is: David Horowitz Freedom Center, P.O. Box 55089, Sherman Oaks, CA 91499-1964

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.