Counterterrorism strategy in civil war context: The case of al-Qaedaism

This thesis evaluates the radicalization strategies of fundamentalist groups in civil war and war-torn areas, by examining the ideological arguments of al-Qaeda. Three issues are identified and systematizes within the study. Firstly, inter-state conflicts have continued to rapidly evolve into new types of wars in the post-Cold War period, with conflicting groups strengthening their legitimacy in the social sphere due to their administrative capacities. Thus, an essential objective of this thesis has been to clarify the rebel governance dynamics of those fundamentalist structures that are active in war and conflict zones. Secondly, this dissertation aims to illustrate how those fundamentalist groups that relate to the Al-Qaeda thought system have used the Sunni paradigm to increase their legitimacy both locally and globally. Additionally, the most frequently mentioned religious doctrines, schools, and thinkers associated with al-Qaeda have been presented in detail regarding the Civil War context. Thirdly and lastly, the research examined the extent to which contemporary counter-terrorism strategies are insufficient in the context of al-Qaedaism, and how their design reduces the impact of ideological approaches to neutralize terrorism. In this context, the thesis evaluates how al-Qaedaism's three basic radicalization tools (meta-narratives, symbolic process, apocalyptic point of view) used to fuel a war and conflict environment, can be applied against them ideologically (delegitimization, counter-narrative and pluralist point of view) to limit individuals participating in the organization. In this framework, it has been argued that the basic parameters that shape Al-Qaeda's global political agenda are not only associated with terrorism, but also inform rebel governance and religious references and values.