Anatomy of al-Qaida

Sammanfattning: This paper looks at al-Qaida and the nearly decade of war through concepts offered by a scientific paradigm called complexity theory. The networks, organization and ideology of al-Qaida in this paper are described in terms of complex adaptive systems, emergent networks with localized behavior. How Al-Qaida in the face of adversity of being one of the most hunted organizations, networks and ideology across the world show a remarkable talent for not only surviving, but also thriving under nearly a decade of war. This paper is in an effort to understand the adaptation and resilience al-Qaida has shown during the last decade, as it today has more members, a global reach and an ideological experience it lacked ten years ago.