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Al Qa’ida
Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaida are often mentioned in connection with jihadist terrorism. But what are we to understand by "Al Qaida"? Bearing in mind that Al Qaida is both an organisation and an ideology, the NCTb has identified three strands.
The Al Qai'da core
The Al Qaida core is the "established" Al Qaida organisation, led by Osama Bin Laden and based partly around the Afghani-Pakistani border. It also includes groups, networks, cells and individuals operating elsewhere in the world under the central leadership’s control.
Al Qaida allies
Al Qaida allies are groups, networks, cells and individuals in contact with the Al Qaida core but not under its direct operational control.
Al Qaida adherents
Al Qaida adherents are groups, networks, cells and individuals who are not themselves in contact with the Al Qaida core, but are inspired by its ideology or by that of Al Qaida allies. In the Netherlands, they are mainly local autonomous networks for whom Al Qaida is only a source of inspiration. Their autonomous dynamics are evidence of the existence of other sources of Jihadist inspiration than Al Qaida.
