Publications

In recent years, a serious academic discussion about the al-Qaeda organization (or AQC – al-Qaeda Central) has been underway, one that has also found its way into the popular media. It has focused on whether AQC has ceased functioning as an active organization and turned into an icon only, and whether its role as leader of the global jihad has been assumed by a mass movement run by a network of people, groups, and organizations whose members have undergone a process of self-radicalization. A response to this question may be found in an analysis of the activities of al-Qaeda and its affiliates, but also depends on understanding the concept of struggle according to al-Qaeda and its relationship with its affiliates. Al-Qaeda views itself as the leader of the global jihad movement and as a role model for its affiliates. As such, the organization has sought to stage dramatic and innovative terrorist attacks that pave the way for its collaborators, without insisting on exclusivity for acts undertaken in the name of global jihad. Moreover, al-Qaeda has encouraged independent activity, which is often carried out without its approval or knowledge.