Al-Qaeda

JihadistSalafi-JihadistNot found in sourcesActive

Transnational jihadist network. AIVD frames global jihadism as Al-Qaeda and ISIS. Dutch case-law includes AQAP prosecutions. Dutch Supreme Court addressed evidentiary questions.

Country

Afghanistan

Founded

1988

Date Added

2026

Background

Al-Qaeda is a transnational jihadist network that has operated since the late 1980s through affiliated organisations, regional branches, and propaganda, and remains referenced in Dutch and EU threat reporting as a core component of the global jihadist movement alongside ISIS. The AIVD frames global jihadism as consisting of Al-Qaeda and ISIS plus associated groups and networks, including within the Netherlands context. The DTN December 2025 defines the jihadist movement as including organisations such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS. Dutch case-law includes prosecutions concerning alleged participation in Al-Qaeda affiliates, notably Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), and the Dutch Supreme Court has addressed evidentiary and legal questions arising from alleged AQAP participation in cases brought before it. The CTC Sentinel analysis of the Dutch foreign fighter contingent in Syria provides context on Dutch participation in jihadist networks including Al-Qaeda-linked formations. UN sanctions regimes and EU Council measures maintain Al-Qaeda on designated terrorist entity lists relevant to Dutch law enforcement and financial controls. The Dutch prosecution service addresses terrorism financing in the context of organisations including Al-Qaeda.

Ideology and Worldview

Al-Qaeda subscribes to a Salafi-jihadist ideology holding that armed jihad against perceived enemies of Islam, including Western governments and their allies, is a religious obligation. It advocates the establishment of governance based on its interpretation of Islamic law and views existing Muslim-majority governments as apostate regimes to be overthrown. Al-Qaeda has historically emphasised far-enemy targeting of Western countries as a strategic priority, distinguishing its approach from more territorially focused jihadist organisations.

Organisational Structure

Al-Qaeda operates through a core leadership structure supplemented by a network of regional affiliates including AQAP in Yemen, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Al-Shabaab in Somalia, and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and related formations in Syria. Following the death of Osama bin Laden in 2011 and subsequent leadership transitions, the organisation has become more decentralised while maintaining strategic coherence through shared ideology and affiliate relationships. UN sanctions monitoring tracks Al-Qaeda and associated entities providing a network mapping function relevant to Dutch enforcement and financial controls.

Recruitment and Communication

Al-Qaeda recruits through online propaganda, affiliate networks, and ideological outreach targeting Muslims it seeks to mobilise for armed jihad. The Dutch foreign fighter contingent analysis by CTC Sentinel documents how Dutch individuals became engaged with jihadist networks including Al-Qaeda-linked formations through online radicalisation and travel to conflict zones. The organisation has used magazines, audio recordings, and online platforms to disseminate its ideology and recruit internationally.

Tactics and Operations

Al-Qaeda has historically employed mass casualty terrorist attacks targeting Western countries and interests, most prominently the September 2001 attacks in the United States. Its regional affiliates continue to conduct insurgent operations, terrorist attacks, and kidnapping for ransom in their respective theatres. Dutch prosecutions involving AQAP participation address the terrorism and international crimes dimensions of Al-Qaeda affiliate activity. The Dutch prosecution service's terrorism financing framework addresses the financial infrastructure supporting Al-Qaeda and affiliated organisations.

Network Connections

Al-Qaeda maintains a network of formal affiliates and informal ideological fellow travellers across multiple regions. It has historically competed and cooperated with ISIS, sharing roots in the global jihadist movement while diverging on strategy and theology. Dutch case-law connecting individuals to AQAP participation illustrates the network connections between the Netherlands and Al-Qaeda's affiliate structure. EU and UN sanctions regimes provide the formal legal framework for tracking these network connections in the Dutch context.

Escalation and Threat Assessment

The Al-Qaeda threat to the Netherlands is assessed as persistent and structural rather than acutely escalating. The AIVD consistently frames Al-Qaeda alongside ISIS as constituting the core of the global jihadist threat relevant to the Netherlands. DTN December 2025 continues to reference Al-Qaeda as part of the jihadist movement posing a threat. Dutch prosecutions involving AQAP participation demonstrate that the affiliate network has generated Dutch cases. The organisation's resilience following territorial losses and leadership attrition indicates a sustained long-term threat rather than imminent collapse.

Sources

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