anyone know how many members al-qaeda has?

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im writing an article. i need an estimate number of al-qaeda members.

Im not sure whether its an actual organisation at all.

Ive gotten the vague impression that its used as a catch-all term for Islamic terrorist movements in general, its used in a way that is suggestive of a large coordinated network, when the reality may be sporadic unrelated groups.

14 people, give or take (joke)

It looks like you don't have a grasp on what al-Qa'ida actually is -

here is the Wiki on it.

Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa'ida or al-Qa'idah, (Arabic: القاعدة‎; transliteration: al-qā‘idah; translation: The Base) is an international alliance of Sunni Islamic militant organizations founded in 1988[4] by Abdullah Yusuf Azzam (later replaced by Osama Bin Laden) and other veteran "Afghan Arabs" after the Soviet War in Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda has attacked civilian and military targets in various countries, the most notable being the September 11, 2001 attacks. These actions were followed by the US government launching a military and intelligence campaign against al-Qaeda called the War on Terror.
The radical Islamist movement in general and al-Qaeda in particular developed during the Islamic revival and Islamist movement of the last three decades of the 20th century along with less extreme movements.

Some have argued that "without the writings" of Islamic author and thinker Sayyid Qutb "al-Qaeda would not have existed."[40] Qutb preached that because of the lack of sharia law the Muslim world was no longer Muslim, having reverted to pre-Islamic ignorance known as jahiliyyah. To restore Islam, a vanguard movement of righteous Muslims was needed to implement Sharia and rid the Muslim world of any non-Muslim influences, such as concepts like socialism or nationalism. Enemies of Islam included "treacherous Orientalists!" [41] and "world Jewry", who plotted "conspiracies" and "wicked[ly]" opposed Islam.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Qaeda

Try phoning their reception and asking?

"Hello, Axis of Evil, your call is important to us.. please hold."

seven.

I am not sure if Al-Qaida has central leadership anymore. Bin Laden is basically just a figurehead, and I am even skeptical of Zawahri's influence.

It's mainly the regional units that have all the power (i.e. Iraq, North Africa, etc.)

Al Qaeda are like the 'immortals' in the ancient persian army, if you count their supporters and the believers of their cause(which are potential Qaeda fighter members who are willing to join the organization).....then you can say that they are about of few millions of men and women. Surely,the core members are much less than that(maybe in 1000s) but they have a non-ending human resource , if you kill some others will pop-up soon to replace them. It's a terrorist organization supported by a large base that never expires....that's why it's so dangerous.

Hitting them financially might be the best way, started by watching the islamic banks ,orphanages,hospitals ...etc who are usually a coverage for illegal funds. The source of funds are usually VIPS in the gulf ,mostly the king-haters and the opposition tribes in KSA.

As an ex-muslim atheist, I can assure you this: As long the faith of Islam (and especially the fundamental sunni faith) exists in the world Al Qaeda will remain a threat to the world.

That was the greatest thing I've read all day.

Why dont you ask the CIA?

"Al-Qaida,(sic) literally 'the database,' was originally the computer file of the thousands of mujahideen who were recruited and trained with help from the CIA to defeat the Russians," admits former British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, whose Foreign Office portfolio included control of British Intelligence Agency MI-6 and the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), in a column published by the UK Guardian newspaper.
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/sto ... 38,00.html)

In other words, the so-called Al Qaeda, which has been promoted by the Media Cartel as the cause of all bombings and terrorism since the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001, is simply a database of CIA trained "terrorists" (or "freedom fighters," depending on your perspective) which has become a convenient Global Boogeyman for the 21st Century.

What does this mean? The entire planet has been fooled into believing that an Islamic "organization" exists to promote the destruction of Western society, when in fact this "organization" is just a list of Pentagon/ CIA trained assassins, who can be used and discarded as needed.

Al-Quaida is the Brotherhood and Bin Laden is Goldstein. In other words, probably neither is real, or if they are, they are not a serious threat.

al Qaeda's top man in Somalia Bombed

Looks like there is one less than there was a while ago.

Don't you mean al Quaida is Rosenscranz and bin Ladin is Guildenstern? neither were real, and when they come to life on the stage they were not a serious threat.

I blame Nasr. His belief in pan-arabism (Egyptians aren't Arabs so to speak) and antisemitism provoked the war against Israel. After the destruction of the arab forces, Zawahiri under the ideologies of Qutb began to advocate a more islamic attitude for the muslim nations, thinking that if the secular regimes couldn't defeat the Israelis, then an Islamic regime will.











Wait are you serious?

Of course Iam serious, its reported fact, didnt you follow the link from the British newspaper "The Guardian".
I actually heard Robin Cooks fine speech against the Iraq war where he reported to Parliament that Al Qaeda was nothing more than a Cia database of muja-hadien operatives they trained in the Afgan war against Russia, funny how he mysteriously died two weeks later.

See if you can find the BBC documentary "The Power of Nightmares", this spells out exactly who Al Qaeda is.

And ask yourself, why would a bunch of "Arab terrorists" call themselves, "The Database", which is what Al Qaeda means, but you can see why the CIA would call their database of arab agents, "Al Qaeda".

Did you know the only flight allowed after 911 was to fly the Bin Laden family to safety?, look it up, look up Bushes long term business relationship with Bin Laden.

With any crime, you have to see who benifits to find the criminal, how does terrorist events like 911 benifit Islam?, it doesnt, it demonises the name of thier god, and brings the power of the west against them, but look who does benifit from "terrorist events", International bankers who get to take over the conquered countries economic system, big business like Haliburton and arms manufacturers, oil companies who are now making a fortune in the current "oil crisis", and mainly Israel who has convinced young American men to lay down thier lives to fight Israels eniemies for them.

See I'm not much for conspiracy theories because they're pretty ridiculous in my opinion.

Here:

The US was not the only country to financially or militarily support the Mujahideen.

Qaeda means base. Not database.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, confirmed that the "Afghan Arabs" did not receive any U.S. funding during the war in Afghanistan.



If the CIA funded al-Qaeda, who funded the other mujahideen groups? Why were there separate groups?



What does flying the bin Laden family have anything to do with...anything? Do you think in the aftermath of 9/11 it was safe to have the bin Ladens remain in the United States?



Yes, Sayyed Qutb must have been a puppet of the Americans. This caused him to write influential works that influenced the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, caused the assassination of Anwar Sadat, brought Zawahiri into alliance with Osama bin Laden, where both were funded and trained militarily in Afghanistan. Have provided them with military strategies to kill and bomb other countries, including US embassies, ships, and buildings, and expand west to create a "Caliphate." It all makes sense now.

Honestly, what are you trying to prove by saying "How does it benefit Islam?" I hear that excuse all the time "But it couldn't have been him. He's a pious muslim. Muslims would never do such a thing. It was the Jews, the CIA, BUSH!"

And the fact that Nasser was almost assassinated by the Islamic Brotherhood (fore-runner of Al Qaeda) in 1954, and then he vigorously repressed them? Does that make him more responsible?