The paper sets out to show the link between the attacked targets and motivations of Al-Qaeda (AQ) as a terrorist group. It introduces AQ and outlines its goal of establishing an Islamic Caliphate and the immediate objective of driving out the United States Interest from the Muslim world. It proceeds to provide data on the attacked targets claimed by AQ.
The data is analyzed using the Constructivist theory to expose the development of identities and how they relate to the immediate objective and the attacked targets. It proceeds to discuss the cases where AQ claimed responsibility by looking at the messages in relation to the motivation and the attacked target. Further, it looks at cases where AQ was suspected but did not formally claim responsibility to establish the consistency between the AQ’s goal and attacked target understood within the constructed identity.
The paper finally concludes that attacked targets are very consistent with AQ’s motivations hence the ability to use the combination to identify a terrorist group responsible for an attack where both are known and no single group claims responsibility.
Table of Contents
1. Background
2. Methodology
3. Research Question
4. Method
5. Study Limitations
6. Literature Review
7. Data Presentation and Analysis
8. Theory
9. Discussion
10. Conclusion
Research Objectives & Themes
This paper examines the correlation between the target selection of Al Qaeda and its overarching motivations. By applying Social Constructivist theory, the research investigates how ideological identities shape the group's strategic choices, aiming to determine whether specific attack targets can serve as reliable indicators of a terrorist group's intent, especially in instances where responsibility remains unclaimed.
- Analysis of Al Qaeda's strategic objectives and the pursuit of an Islamic Caliphate.
- Evaluation of target selection patterns using historical data from 1998 to 2013.
- Application of Constructivist theory to explain the development of terrorist identities and enemy construction.
- Assessment of the link between claimed attacks and the group's stated ideological motivations.
Excerpt from the Book
Background
Terrorism has been in existence for a long time now and it has been observed that like a pestilence in middle Ages it panics both leaders and citizens (Deutch 1997). Terrorism as a concept has been conceived as; ‘the use of violence or threat of violence by an organized group to achieve political objective. The violence is directed against a targeted audience that extend beyond the immediate victims, who are often innocent civilians. Further, either the government can be either the perpetrator of violence or the target, it is considered an act of terrorism only if one or both actors is not a government. Finally it is a weapon of the weak’ (Lutz 2010). This conceptualization leaves out groups whose main motive is financial gains like those involved in kidnappings.
The involvement of the use of force or threat of use of force is inimical to terrorism. In the same vein this use of force or threat is always directed towards certain targets who may extend beyond the immediate victims. The selection of targets has raised questions whether it is an indiscriminate act or it is a well premeditated act. According to Drake, ‘terrorist attacks are occasionally called 'indiscriminate' […] in practice, however, attacks by non-state terrorist groups are rarely indiscriminate’ (Drake 1998). This means that terrorist’s undergo an intense process in identification of their targets to help them convey their demands. This has been particularly observed among non-state terrorist groups as Drake opines.
Summary of Chapters
Background: This chapter introduces the concept of terrorism and the origins of Al Qaeda, setting the foundation for analyzing how organizational goals influence operational choices.
Methodology: This section details the research framework, justifying the selection of data sources and the analytical approach used to connect attack patterns to group ideology.
Research Question: This chapter poses the central inquiry regarding how Al Qaeda’s selection of targets reflects their underlying motivations.
Method: This chapter explains the specific techniques for data collection and the rationale for using official reports and literature to bridge access gaps to a secret organization.
Study Limitations: This section outlines the constraints of the study, including the difficulties of analyzing a clandestine group and the exclusion of non-direct affiliates.
Literature Review: This chapter situates the study within existing academic discourse, focusing on theories of terrorist targeting, capability, and motive.
Data Presentation and Analysis: This chapter presents a chronological record of attacks attributed to Al Qaeda and initiates the analysis of these events against the group's stated objectives.
Theory: This chapter discusses the application of Social Constructivism, focusing on how ideas, identities, and norms define enemies and justify the selection of targets.
Discussion: This chapter synthesizes the findings, using diagrams to explain the relationship between Al Qaeda's motives, preferences, and the targets attacked.
Conclusion: This final chapter confirms the strong correlation between terrorist motivations and target selection, suggesting that targets can be used as identifiers for responsible groups.
Keywords
Al Qaeda, Terrorism, Target Selection, Islamic Caliphate, Social Constructivism, Ideology, Motivation, Non-state actors, Political Objectives, Global Security, Enemy Construction, Radicalization, Violent Extremism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the relationship between the specific targets chosen by Al Qaeda and the group's underlying ideological motivations and strategic objectives.
What are the primary themes discussed in the work?
Key themes include the construction of enemy identities, the role of ideology in terrorist decision-making, the pursuit of an Islamic Caliphate, and the strategic logic behind target selection.
What is the main research question?
The study seeks to answer how Al Qaeda's selection of attack targets provides insight into their internal motivations and long-term goals.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The paper utilizes Social Constructivist theory to analyze how ideas and identities influence the behavior and operational choices of the terrorist organization.
What is addressed in the main body of the work?
The main body examines historical data on terrorist incidents from 1998 to 2013, compares these attacks to Al Qaeda's stated objectives, and discusses both claimed and suspected attacks.
Which keywords best characterize this study?
Prominent keywords include Al Qaeda, Terrorism, Target Selection, Social Constructivism, Ideology, and Islamic Caliphate.
How does Social Constructivism help explain Al Qaeda's target choices?
It allows for an analysis of how the group constructs the identities of "infidels" versus "Muslims," which then informs who is considered a valid target according to their regulatory and constitutive norms.
Why is this research useful when an attack is not claimed?
The paper argues that by understanding a terrorist group's established objectives and ideological symbols, analysts can more accurately attribute responsibility for attacks based on the target type, even in the absence of a formal claim.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Calvince Barack (Autor:in), 2014, How does the terrorist group Al-Qaeda select their targets and what is their motivation?, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/384339
