The Washington Post report underscores an important aspect of the evolving threat of global jihadist terrorism and the evolving form of the al-Qaeda jihadist network. Abu Musaab al-Suri?s strategic and operational writings?particularly his strategic blueprint ?The Call for a Global Islamic Resistance??may provide an enduring strategic and operational guiding framework for the globally atomized front of smaller homegrown, self-sustaining, and entrepreneurial jihadist cells around the world.
TRC?s Terror Web Watch weekly analysis has discussed in-depth aspects of al-Suri?s communiqu?s and terrorist tradecraft training materials, characterizing him as one of the most dangerous at-large al-Qaeda leaders, ??because of his particular skills in explosives, poisons, and chemicals; the ease with which he has been able to move between three continents; and the large social/professional network he has amassed in his long career and travels within the international Jihadist movement.? For al-Suri?s full biography, see the July 8, 2005 Terror Web Watch.
Considered an ideologue, strategist, and trainer, al-Suri?s strategic writings of conducting a global jihadist resistance with a decentralized constellation and movement of smaller cells tracks with TRC’s discussion and analyses of al-Qaeda?s evolution into a broad global movement of inspired and affiliated jihadist groups and cells. At the forefront of this evolution has been the emergence of what this author has termed ?vanguard outpost? cells such as those that conducted the recent Madrid and London bombings. These vanguard outpost cells are often homegrown and/or isolated cells of jihadists inspired to militancy by the resonance and allure of al-Qaeda?s ideology and/or the rallying by al-Qaeda expeditionary advisors.
Al-Suri?s strategic and operational writings may serve as an enduring inspirational and organizing framework for vanguard outpost cells. Indeed, as Craig Whitlock notes, counterterrorism officials believe that contours of al-Suri?s strategic thought may have influenced or been operationalized in the 2003 Casablanca bombings , the 2004 Madrid bombings, and the 2005 London bombings, each conducted largely by vanguard outpost cells. In this vein, al-Suri may have sought to incite vanguard outpost cells to action. As the December 2, 2005 Terror Web Watch discussed, ?? al-Suri [called] on “Mujahideen dispersed in Europe” to attack Britain, Italy, the Netherlands , and Germany ?Japan , Australia , and Russia , as well as ?any country that has a military presence in Iraq, Afghanistan, or the Arabian Peninsula.?? Al-Suri went on to say, “Let every sleeper cell awake now.” This call, in conjunction with his strategic writings on the necessity and advantage of a decentralized front of jihadist cells, suggests a design to cultivate and guide this global front of vanguard outpost cells.
Though al-Suri has been physically removed from the global jihad, his strategic, operational, and weaponeering writings have not, and their proliferation throughout the global jihadist community has serious implications for the current and future jihadist terrorism threat. Similar to the rallying power of the al-Qaeda ideological and strategic agenda outlined in the communiqu?s of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri, al-Suri?s writings will likely take on a doctrinal life of their own in influencing vanguard outpost cell operations. A common strategic or doctrinal blueprint may focus vanguard outpost operations in a swarming against particular countries and targets and the utilizing of particular modus operandi. For the vanguard outpost cell, these blueprints can be augmented with contemporary ?state-of-the-art? terrorist tradecraft guidance available within the global jihadist cyberspace. Thus, the strategic, operational, and tactical guidance and doctrinal writings of al-Suri, the al-Qaeda leadership, and the jihadist battlefront in Iraq found within the global jihadist community?particularly within the jihadist cyberspace?serve as an enduring and profound resource and guide for the militant campaigns of the jihadist movement and its groupings. Further, these doctrines transcend the direct command and/or life of those leaders. In response, careful study of the strategic contours, and their operational implications and potentials, will provide advantageous insight into the strategic and operational mindset of the jihadist militant.
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