Geschaftszweck: Terror. Al-Qaida als multinationales Unternehmen

In: Internationale Politik: das Magazin für globales Denken, Band 60, Heft 3, S. 48-57

Abstract

Al Qaeda & its leader Osama bin Laden reflect the concepts of multinational corporations, with the structure of a modern business based on management concepts of the early 1990's. Bin Laden consciously developed decentralized, flexible, & complex financing, not limited to state support. Its ownership is oligio-political, with production & recruiting in multiple countries & a primary administration with numerous branches. The Al Qaeda network uses modern communication technology, is free from any regulation, & can support its own organizational structure, training, & operations, preferably in a dysfunctional state. Bin Laden & his closest associates have enormous technical & economic qualifications. Operating like a joint venture, bin Laden encourages ideas & provides capital to the most creative & implementable. The organization's flexibility stems from its bipolar character as an organization & a dynamic ideology. Attempts to cut off financing are complicated by the difficulty in sanctioning organizations & individuals, the unwillingness of states to implement certain legislation, & the ability of Al Qaeda to change tactics & organization. The US cannot eliminate Al Qaeda alone, & the best that can be hoped for is to limit opportunities & minimize the sociological factors that support their ideology. L. Kehl