Al-Qaeda

al-Qaeda is a radical Islamist group founded in the late 1980’s that has attacked civilian and military targets in several countries, sometimes using suicide bombers. Their aim includes the ending of foreign influence in Muslim countries.  Although they exist in the name of Islam, the majority of Muslims do not support their actions.

al-Qaeda has its roots in the Soviet-Afghan war in the 1980’s. Many foreign fighters from all over the Muslim world flocked to Afghanistan to take up arms against the Soviet Union. During the 1970’s, Islamic militancy had been growing and many young, marginalised people had grown attracted to the idea of defending Islam against what was seen as Western, un-Islamic influence. Those who went to Afghanistan to fight, saw themselves as fighting for God and they became known as the Mujahedeen; literally meaning “Fighters for God”.

With the US and Soviet Union enemies over Capitalism and Communism, the US supported and funded the mujahedeen in Afghanistan to try and weaken the Soviet forces. It was during the early days of the Soviet-Afghan conflict from 1979 onwards, that Osama bin Laden travelled to Pakistan and set up base in northern Pakistan, attracting militants to join in the fight with the Afghans.

More extremist followers of the mujahedeen in Afghanistan, believed that the battle fought there should be the base of a ‘liberation’ of Muslims in the Middle East from corrupt, unreligious countries. al-Qaeda’s hard-line approach became more appealing to some when the United States stationed troops in Saudi Arabia in 1991 as this angered many of bin Laden’s supporters. Saudi Arabia is the spiritual home of Islam with its holy sites in Mecca and is also Osama bin Laden’s homeland. 

The growth of a more violent, extreme approach was their interpretation of a Fatwa, or declaration, of war against the US and its allies in 1998 issued by bin Laden. al-Qaeda’s fight against the US reached its most violent point with the 9/11 bombings. It was during the period before 9/11 that bin Laden lived in Afghanistan, which had been governed by the hard-line Taliban since they seized power in 1996. The Taliban shared similar views with bin Laden and his group. Because of this al-Qaeda fighters were protected in Afghanistan where they set up training camps and developed their skills.

When the Taliban refused to give up bin Laden following 9/11 for fear of looking weak, the US invaded. Since 2001 the al-Qaeda leadership has been broken up and many of its commanders killed or captured. The US led invasion of Iraq, which began in 2002, has however, allowed them to re-group to some extent.