-->

• Al Qaeda is an international organization of fundamentalist Sunni Muslims. The group has claimed responsibility for, among other acts of terrorism, the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center and The Pentagon.

  On March 27, 2009, President Barack Obama unveiled a new strategy that would destroy the "cancer" of Al-Qaeda. Obama's plan includes sending over 20,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan and billions of dollars in aide to Pakistan. 4,000 of the troops will be deployed in the spring of 2009.Times Online: President Obama unveils His "Stronger, Smarter" Strategy... (March 27 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Founded in 1988
  2. Founders: Osama Bin Laden and others
  3. Name in Arabic means "The Base"
  4. Composed of semi-autonomous "cells"
  5. Roots in Afghanistan Revolutionary War
  6. Al Qaeda members behind the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
  7. Also launched attacks in London, Spain and several other countries
  8. Many attacks use suicide bombers
  9. Global "Orange Notice" issued in February 2009 by INTERPOL at the request of Saudi Arabia
  10. Security alert identified 85 suspected terrorists with ties to Al Qaeda wanted by the SaudisINTERPOL: INTERPOL issues unprecedented global alert for 85 terrorist suspects...

• Saudi Orange Notice

  On February 10, 2009, the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) issued an international security alert for 85 suspected terrorists with ties to Al Qaeda. All of the suspects mentioned in the so-called "Orange Notice" were wanted on terrorism-related charges in Saudi Arabia.INTERPOL: INTERPOL issues unprecedented global alert for 85 terrorist suspects...

• Origin

  Osama Bin Laden originally founded Al Qaeda in 1988 in a effort to unite soldiers in a Jihad, or Holy War, against the Soviets and to force the United States military out of Saudi Arabia. The militant group has since focused on attacking non-Islamic governments.

• September 11, 2001

  On September 11, 2001, members of Al Qaeda hijacked and crashed four commercial jetliners. Two planes crashed into the Twin Towers in Lower Manhattan, the third into The Pentagon and the fourth in a field in rural Pennsylvania.

• 9-11 Aftermath

  Following the terrorist attacks, on October 7, 2001, President Bush launched the War on Terror in Afghanistan in an attempt to foil the Taliban regime.

• Other Attacks

  In addition to the 9-11 attacks, Al Qaeda has attacked several other areas including London, Spain, Egypt, Kenya, Indonesia and Turkey. Many of the attacks used suicide bombers to target embassies, government buildings and other retail buildings.

• Al Qaeda Operatives in Iran

  On January 16, 2009 the United States Treasury Department zeroed-in on four alleged Al Qaeda operatives with ties to the organization's operations in Iran. The department issued executive order 13224, freezing the men's assets and prohibiting transactions between them and U.S. citizens. The purpose of such an order is to target the operatives as well as those that support them, and forces Iran to publicly accept responsibility for how it is meeting its international obligations regarding Al Qaeda. The four men, Mustafa Hamid, Muhammad Rab'a al-Sayid al-Bahtiyti, Ali Saleh Husain, and Osama Bin Laden's son Saad bin Laden, were allegedly detained by Iranian authorities in 2003, though it is believed Sa'ad bin Laden has been away from the country since at least September of 2008.Google News (AFP): US Treasury Targets Bin Laden Son, Al Qaeda with Iran Ties (January 16, 2009)

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Osama Bin Laden | 9-11 Anniversary | Saad bin Laden | Muhammad Rab'a al-Sayid al-Bahtiyti | Ali Saleh Husain | Mustafa Hamid | Al Qaeda Recruiting UK Children | Iraq War | Afghanistan War | September 11th | Donald Rumsfeld | War on Terror | Iraqi Bomb Blast | Zawahiri Tape | Waziristan Conflict | Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? | Bhutto Assassinated | Bhutto Cover-Up | Sherry Rehman | Adam Gadahn | Ansar Al-Tawhid | Amin al-Haq | White Army of Terror | Abu Laith Al Libi | Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan | Hassan Nasrallah | Abu Ghadiyain | Kirkuk Restaurant Bombing | Malika El-Aroud | Hardan al Jaburi | Terrorism Calendar | U.S. Department of the Treasury | Said Ali al Shihri | Saudi Orange Notice | Devil's Advocate TV Show | Adam Yahiye Gadahn | Daniel Andreas San Diego | Velupillai Prabhakaran | Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani | Saad Bin Laden Dead

Categories

• View History
• Discuss on the Message Board
• Embed this Page
• Share this page