The Al-Qaeda , “the base” in Arabic, is an Islamic fundamentalist organization founded in 1988 by Osama b in Laden, with the initial objective of expelling Soviet troops from Afghanistan with US support.
Right after the Gulf War, in 1991, and the presence of US troops in the Arabian Peninsula , al-Qaida members began a campaign against the United States. The group's most striking action was the September 11, 2001, attack on North American territory. With the death of Osama bin Laden, in 2011, the organization weakened, but the absence of data on its performance cannot confirm the end of its activities.
See also: Taliban and their return to power in Afghanistan
Al Qaeda Summary
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Al-Qaeda is an Islamic fundamentalist organization founded in 1988 by Osama bin Laden and Abdullah Azzam, with the initial objective of expelling Soviet troops from Afghanistan.
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When the group emerged, it had the support of the United States, receiving weapons and training.
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The presence of US troops in the Arabian Peninsula prompted al-Qaida to launch a campaign against the United States.
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The group planned and carried out the 9/11 attacks in the United States.
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Al-Qaeda received support and protection from the Taliban to hide in Afghanistan.
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Shortly after the death of Osama bin Laden in 2011, the group weakened, but it cannot be said that it ceased its activities.
Video lesson on what is al-Qaeda?
What is Al-Qaeda?
Al-Qaeda is an Islamic fundamentalist organization founded by Osama Bin Laden in 1988 to attack those considered by its members to be enemies of Islam. The group emerged during the conflict against Soviet troops to drive them out of Afghanistan . Despite initially receiving support from the United States, shortly after the Gulf War in 1991, Al-Qaeda began a campaign against the Americans, carrying out terrorist attacks against governments and other groups linked to the United States.
Characteristics of Al Qaeda
Al-Qaida's main characteristics are:
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Radical interpretation of the S would , Islamic law.
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Hostility to Western influences in the Arab world.
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Globalist action.
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It is recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States, United Kingdom, France, among other countries.
Origin of Al-Qaeda
In 1979, the Soviet Union sent troops to invade Afghanistan in order to defend the socialist government, which had been in power since the previous year, led by the People's Democratic Party Afghan (PDPA). This government was willing to carry out reforms in the country, but the National Afghan Resistance Movement (MNRA) was against it such changes .
This movement was made up of radical Islamists, who were keen to overthrow the Moscow-allied government. As, in the late 1970s, the world was divided in the Cold War, the United States supported the MNRA to fight the Soviets.
The figure of the appeared mujahidin , self-styled “holy warriors”, who were willing to kill and die for the expulsion of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. E between s the warriors were Abdullah Azzam and Osama bin Laden . The two founded the Maktab al Khidmat lil Mujahidin al-Arab (MAK), responsible for recruiting young people to become mujahidin and fight the infidels and enemies of Islam . This Afghan resistance was supported by the United States through training and arms shipments.
With the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, Abdullah Azzam and Osama bin Laden decided to transform MAK into Al-Qaeda, which in Arabic means “the base”. Azzam was murdered in 1989, and bin Laden's involvement in the bombing is suspected.
Al-Qaida Action
Al-Qaida usual acts through attacks to bomb . Some members of the group are trained to become suicide bombers, and, believing in a reward in heaven, they lose their own lives detonating bombs attached to their bodies in order to kill as many people as possible.
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September 11th attacks
Al-Qaida's best-known performance was the attention in the United States, on September 11, 2001 . The group's terrorists hijacked four planes and dropped them at symbolic US spots like the World Trade Center and the Pentagon , and another plane crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers managed to kill the terrorists. It is believed that the latter was destined for the White House.
The attacks on US soil demanded a quick and effective response from the George W. Bush administration against their constituents. As soon as it was proved that al-Qaida had organized the attacks, the White House began military action against Afghanistan to defeat the group's members and arrest Osama bin Laden.
The US war on Afghan territory began in late 2001 and succeeded in ousting the Taliban from the government, but failed to capture the leader of al-Qaeda. It wasn't until 2011 that bin Laden was killed in his hideout in Pakistan.
See also: Saddam Hussein – Iraqi dictator who assumed the presidency of his country in 1979
Relationship between Al-Qaeda and the Taliban
Al-Qaida and the Taliban had close relationships since the late 1970s , when the two organizations participated in the Afghan resistance against Soviet troops. Both received training and weapons from the United States to fight the foreign enemy. When the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan in 1996, the Taliban were given support and protection to remain on Afghan soil to continue engineering new terrorist attacks.
This relationship was the main reason given by the United States to justify in the war against the two groups in late 2001 . As the Taliban ruled the Arab country and provided cover for the terrorist organization, US troops would have to remove it from Afghan power to dismantle Al-Qaeda.
Although they did both, leader bin Laden was not captured. The US military was heavily criticized for having the most potent war arsenal in the world and failing to locate the leader of al-Qaeda. It wasn't until 2011 that Osama bin Laden was killed by the US military.
Image credit
[1] Hamid Mir / Commons