Two Eras Of Al Qaed Pre-9/11

Few organizations have garnered as much fascination, fear, and attention in the realm of global security and terrorism as Al-Qaeda. This paper will cover the group's origins, purpose and ideologies, organizational structure, successes and failures, and prospects to assess its ability to achieve its ideological goals given its military capabilities. We will identify two eras of Al Qaeda: pre-9/11 and post-9/11, with both eras having distinct organizational structures and threats. Given their current resources, Al Qaeda’s resources may not be enough to achieve their ideological goals of the defeat of the United States and the creation of an Islamic state under Sharia law. However, the current decentralized organizational structure and the number

Organizational Structure/Upper Echelon The organizational structure of Al Qaeda can be divided into two distinct eras: pre-9/11 and post-9/11. Before 9/11, Al Qaeda had a robust and centralized structure with a firm base in Afghanistan. Its central leader is the Amir, whom Osama bin Laden personified. As the Amir, Bin Laden had religious, operational, strategic, and tactical control over the organization, with the responsibility of approving the annual work plan, budget, and internal functioning such as promotions and nominations. The following pivotal figure under the Amir is the Deputy. The Deputy is the Amir’s right-hand man; his responsibilities are whatever the Amir trusts to give

Each committee had its unique responsibilities: the political committee was responsible for spreading political awareness and preparing cadres for political activity following Sharia law; the religious committee was responsible for reviewing Islamic law and examining whether Al Qaeda's actions conform to the law; the security committee was responsible for the protection of their senior personnel and Al Qaeda’s sensitive information, as well as screening all people who apply to join Al Qaeda; and the administrative and financial committee was responsible for creating and implementing the monetary policy for Al Qaeda for its members and their families (1063-4). The administrative and financial committee was also further divided into three subunits: the accommodation unit, which was responsible for the treatment and accommodation of guests; the accounting unit, responsible for managing finances and payments; and the inter-organizational services unit, which was responsible for the well-being of members and their families