Global Jihad

Pax Americana 1991- 2001 Collapse of the Soviet Union International effort to liberate Kuwait End of History (Triumph of capitalist democracy) George H.W. Bush, “Out of these troubled times a new world order can emerge: a new era, freer from the threat of terror.”

Causes of Jihadist Movement Existing explanations focus either on very specific issues of the modern era or timeless metanarratives Poverty Authoritarian regimes US (Western) foreign policy The Jewish state Globalisation and modernity Culture and values Clash of Civilisations

Social Religious Perspective The Rise and Fall of Political Islam 1924 End of the Caliphate Failure of Arab Nationalism, the absence of a unification narrative Quietening of the Islamists “Islamist movements have been in part secularized by the political process, where political logic has trumped religious logic”

An IR Perspective Rejection of the Contemporary International Order Rejection of a divided ‘spiritual’ umma Rejection of secular and illegitimate governance

Origins of the Jihad Soviet – Afghan War 1979 Following an uprising against the government the Soviet Union intervenes in Afghanistan 1000s of fighters travel from around the world to fight against the USSR

Afghan Arabs 1970s 1980s Abdullah Azzam, Godfather of Jihad Maktab al-Khidamat; Facilitated travel from Middle East to Afghanistan “Jihad and the rifle alone. No conferences, no dialogue, no negotiations”

US aid and weapons help the Mujahideen US made stinger rockets prove effective against Soviet air power Charlie Wilson’s War 1989 Soviets withdraw

Al Qaeda (The Base) Founded 1988 Osama bin Laden Significant material resources but absent of a global strategy and coherent ideology 1989 Bin Laden returns to Saudi following Soviet Withdrawal

1998 Fatwa The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies—civilians and military—is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it, in order to liberate the al-Aqsa Mosque [in Jerusalem] and the holy mosque [in Mecca] from their grip, and in order for their armies to move out of all the lands of Islam, defeated and unable to threaten any Muslim. This is in accordance with the words of Almighty Allah, 'and fight the pagans all together as they fight you all together,' and 'fight them until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah‘

Afghanistan 1992 - 1996 Islamic State of Afghanistan 1992 Peshawar Accords agreed to by all parties except Hekmatyar, supported by Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence Government led by Ahmed Shah Masood Civil War commences again with Hekmatyar supported by Pakistan Origins of the Taliban

Bin Laden 1992 - 1996 1992-96 banished to Sudan 1996 crackdown on Egyptian Islamic Jihad following assassination attempt on Mubarak Sudanese government offers to extradite UBL

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan By 1996 the Taliban control most of Afghanistan and form a government recognised only by Pakistan, Saudi, UAE The Northern Alliance, composed of ethnic Tajiks, Uzbeks, Hazaras serves are the major resistance. Bin Laden returns

Ayman al Zawahiri 2001 merger with Egyptian Islamic Jihad forming Al Qaeda begins to form an ideology and a strategic international agenda

Objectives Unity and Legitimacy (1) A unified Islamic community ruled by religiously sanctioned governance is the solution to all grievances (2) The US and the international system are major obstacles to that realisation.

Four Pillars of Salafi Jihadist Ideology Jahiliyya (Ignorance of God’s will) The problem that should be resolved Salafism (Looking to the early period of Islam for guidance) The solution to the problem Higra (Emigration to form a jihadist community) The preparation to bring the solution Jihad ( war directed against enemies) the action to bring the solution

The War on Terror 10 September 2001, Ahmed Shah Masood Assassinated US demand Taliban give up UBL NATO and allied invasion October 2001