WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AL- QAEDA

Abstract

This paper puts into context the knowledge gathered on the al Qaeda terrorist organisation over the past 15 years. It briefly assesses the approach taken, primarily by academia, to the study of al Qaeda, and how this may have led to misinterpretations. The article points to a certain lack of rigour amongst some academics in favour of immediacy in order to be the first to publish studies on the phenomenon of religious Islamic terrorism. Subsequently, the history of al Qaeda is studied from its origins to its partial dismemberment and dismantling in Pakistan in the mid-2000s. When carrying out this study, the limited information available from primary sources, such as the letters from Abbottabad and other documents from the CTC’s Harmony Project, were used.