Hosted by Mr. Schweitzer and Dr. Siboni, the discussion covered the historical and conceptual roots of fundamentalist Sunni Islamist terrorism as well as the ideology's primary tenets, with a special eye towards the movement's signature MO: suicide, or "martyrdom" (Istishhadia) operations. Dr. Maliah explored Abdullah Azzam's contributions to the global jihad movement, Dr. Moghadam the movement's status, Mr. Schweitzer al-Qaeda's use of suicide operations, and Dr. Siboni the lessons Israel's campaign against suicide terrorism holds for GWOT.
Abdullah Azzam, al-Qaeda, and Hamas: Concepts of Jihad and Istishhad
While al-Qaeda and Hamas have become household terms, far less familiar is the man behind the idea of al-Qaeda, the Palestinian sheikh Abdullah Yusuf Azzam, who also did much to support the establishment and entrenchment of Hamas. This essay traces the links between Azzam and these two radical Islamic organizations and outlines his major influence on central components of their agendas – jihad (holy war) and istishhad (martyrdom).
An al-Qaeda Balance Sheet
Nine years after the 9/11 attacks, there is a growing sense among academic, government, and think tank counterterrorism analysts that al-Qaeda is losing the battle against its enemies, led by the West in general and the United States in particular. Indeed, there are ample signs that al-Qaeda is in trouble, including its loss of important operational leaders; defeat or near defeat of various al-Qaeda franchises outside the Afghan-Pakistani headquarters; and a slew of ideological challenges leveled against the group by some of its former allies. Despite these and other setbacks, however, a number of recent successful and unsuccessful plots serve as a stark reminder of the ingenuity, adaptability, and resilience of the al-Qaeda-led global jihad movement.
Al-Qaeda and Suicide Terrorism: Vision and Reality
Suicide bombings are not a new phenomenon in the annals of contemporary terrorism. Hizbollah in Lebanon was the first to make modern use of this weapon; it was later adopted by other organizations around the world. What characterizes modern suicide terrorism and sets it apart from suicide attacks carried out from the first century until the middle of the 20th is that it is perpetrated by means of explosives carried on the suicide attacker's body or on some type of mobile platform driven by the suicide attacker into his target, which he detonates along with himself.
Defeating Suicide Terrorism in Judea and Samaria, 2002-2005
From mid 2005 suicide terrorism from Judea and Samaria stopped being a significant component of the IDF's war on Palestinian terrorism, thus marking the end of a long, demanding process that began with the Israeli government's decision to launch Operation Defensive Shield and have the IDF operate in Palestinian cities. It is difficult to determine precisely when the process concluded, but around the middle of 2005 the number of suicide attacks from Judea and Samaria dropped to a very low level, and since then this general trend has been maintained.