Al Qaeda and Chemical and Biological Warfare

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The Al Qaeda and Its Attempt to Use Chemical and Biological Warfare as a Means of Attack

For approximately the past three decades, a terrorist group has come to plague the world with its activities (Gunaratna, 2002). This group is known as Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda, when translated means “The Base”. It is a terrorist organization that seeks to remove western influence from the Middle East and spread its radical Islamic views. Al Qaeda’s most prominent leader was Osama bin Laden, until his death during a raid upon his compound in Pakistan. The Al Qaeda’s motivation stems primarily from extreme and deeply rooted religious beliefs. Their most used method of attack is through suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices. This organization has also used chemical warfare and at this time is believed to still actively seek to utilize chemical and biological agents as means to battle.
The most infamous leader of the Al Qaeda is Osama bin Laden of Saudi Arabia. Osama Bin Laden did not derive his theories, practices, or views because he was educated or raised through the teachings of Islamic seminaries, though his principal inspiration appears to be based upon far-reaching religious sentiment. His higher education was actually the study of engineering at a prominent university in Saudi Arabia (Schweitzer and Shay, 2003). Sheikh Abdullah Azzam, a Palestinian, was a highly regarded mentor and the primary source of persuasion for Bin Laden’s ideology and fundamental vision. Azzam was the main architect behind jihad views and is credited as the founder of Al Qaeda. Osama Bin Laden also shaped his outlook from the works and actions of zealous Islamic philosophers from all over the middle-eastern region of the world that opposed Soviet occupation (...

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...spread cells, and gaining support, and constantly evolving employment of technology, it continues to thrive. Friendly forces continue to gain knowledge about the Al Qaeda in efforts to bring the organization down and prevent further implementation of chemical or biological warfare.

Works Cited

Gunaratna, R. (2002). Inside al qaeda: Global network of terror. Chichester: Columbia University Press.
Karasik, T. W. (2002). Toxic warfare. Santa Monica: RAND.
Schweitzer, Y., & Shay, S. (2003). The globalization of terror: The challenge of al-qaida and the response of the international community. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers.
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.infowars.com/u-s-military-al-qaeda-rebels-produced-sarin-gas-for-chemical-attacks-in-syria/
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.start.umd.edu/start/data_collections/tops/terrorist_organization_profile.asp?id=6

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