Al Qaeda
What it is: is a global militant Islamist and Wahhabist organization, originated in the Soviet war against Afghanistan (around 1988-1989).
Goal: (1) Islamic caliphate, (2) topple Saudi monarchy, (3) topple Yemeni government
Religious persuasion: Sunni Islam, Wahhabi
Countries:
Al Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula: Saudi Arabia, Yemen
Al-Qaeda in the land of Islamic Mahgreb: Algeria, Tunisia , Mali , Niger, Nigeria, Mauritania, Senegal, Libya
Al-Shabaab: Uganda, Kenya, Somalia
Al-Nusra Front: Syria, Lebanon
Country specific/general: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq,Turkey
RELATIONS: Taliban: While al-Qaeda fighters continue to cooperate with the Taliban on a tactical level, al-Qaeda and the Quetta Shura have diverged strategically since 2001. This development can be ascribed to al-Qaeda’s relocation to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in 2001–2002—hundreds of miles from the Quetta Shura’s base in Baluchistan—and its alignment with Pakistani tribal militants. Some sources though suggest recent close contact between the leaders. Hamas: The two groups have been linked in the past and have a shared hostility toward Israel, but their ultimate goals are quite different. Hamas authorities in Gaza have at times clashed with even more radical al-Qaeda-linked groups there.…
