Definitions:
Fatwa: A formal legal opinion issued by a recognised religious law authority; a religious edict
Jihad: (In the context of Al Qaeda) A duty towards god, fighting against the opponents of Islam
Sharia: Strict Islamic Law
Jahilyyah: A state of ignorance that existed in pre-Islamic Arabia before the revelations of the Koran; this ignorance now exists in most modern societies and several Muslim ones. 

Key players:
Osama bin Laden: Born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on March 10th 1957. His family were considerably wealthy due to his father’s self made construction company, and he was 17th of 53 children. As a youngster he enjoyed Western films, yet it is believed he experienced a religious awakening aged 14. He was killed by American forces on May 2nd 2011, aged 54.

Abdullah Azzam: A Palestinian theologian who influenced bin Laden in his early years after he issued a fatwa during the Soviet invasion, declaring that both the Afghan and Palestinian struggles were jihads which it was every Muslim’s duty to join. They worked together for may years but broke after they disagreed over the scope of jihad, for unlike bin Laden, Azzam refused to wage war against fellow Muslims. Azzam was suspiciously killed in a car bomb along with his two sons in November 1989.

Ayman- al Zawahiri: Bin Laden’s personal doctor and mentor; a member of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Placed trusted members of Islamic Jihad in key positions in bin Laden’s entourage. He was the mastermind behind the 1995 suicide bombing of the Egyptian embassy in Islamabad, along with the July 7 bomb attacks and the plot discovered in August 2006 to blow up 10 aircraft en route to the US.

The beginnings of a deadly network
Began as a loose coalition of militant Islamists and jihadist groups founded in the last days of the Soviet Union’s attempted occupation of Afghanistan. Initially set its sights on fomenting jihad in ‘ungodly’ Muslim states, and aimed to bring all Muslim lands and holy places into a caliphate under Sharia law.

In 1988, a meeting took place which formed the organisation ‘Al Qaeda’, translated as ‘the base’, which had the aim of waging jihad beyond the borders of Afghanistan. It was dominated by Zawahiri’s Islamic jihad, though was ultimately led by bin Laden, as he was the one funding the organisation.

The turning point: a developing hatred of America
In 1990, 800,000 American led troops entered Saudi Arabia following Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. Bin Laden considered this a violation of Islam’s holiest sanctuaries, and proof of the corruption of the ruling Al-Saud dynasty. As a result, he vowed to ‘liberate the holy places’ in a jihad against the American superpower.

Attacks on the US (and some notable retaliations)
1993: The bombing of the World Trade Centre, New York

1996: The killing of 19 US soldiers in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

1998: Simultaneous car bomb explosions at US embassies in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi kill 250 people and injure 5,500.

In retaliation, Clinton ordered a series of military strikes, in which over 100 missiles were fired at bin Laden’s guerilla bases in Afghanistan. There were 20 casualties but none of the leaders were harmed. A Sudanese pharmaceutical factory was also mistakenly targeted. As a result, US Intelligence were deemed inadequate and Bin Laden was hailed a ‘heroic symbol of resistance to the American superpower’. Donations poured in and recruits flocked to Al Qaeda training camps.

2000: The bombing of Navy destroyer Cole in Aden, killing 17 US Servicemen. In response, the FBI’s New York Chief of counter-terrorism traveled to Yemen hoping to interview suspects, but was recalled due to undiplomatic behaviour, ruining any hope of an investigation.

2001: The attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Centre, killing almost 3000 civilians.

2004- Osama bin Laden accepts responsibility for the attacks:

‘The events of September 11th are but a reaction to the continuous injustice and oppression being practised against our sons in Palestine and Iraq…and in Somalia and Southern Sudan and in other places like Kashmir and Assam. The matter concerns the whole Islamic Nation’.

Was the war on terror the right response? You decide at our upcoming debate, ‘The War on Terror was the right response to 9/11’, on September 6th.