THE MILITARY STRATEGY OF GLOBAL JIHAD

America entered the Global War on Terrorism with little understanding of the
enemy it faced. Al-Qaeda plays a leading role in the larger movement of global jihad,
a splinter faction of militant Islamism intent on establishing its vision of strict Islamic
rule in the Muslim world through armed action. Global jihadis have spent more than
40 years refining their philosophy, gaining experience, building their organization, and
developing plans to reestablish what they see as the only true Islamic state on earth. The
September 11, 2001 (9/11), attacks set this plan in motion.
In the years leading up to and following the 9/11 attacks, global jihadis have written
copiously on their military strategy for creating an Islamic state. This paper draws on
those writings to examine and explain the mechanisms by which they plan to neutralize
the superpower guardian of world order, claim land and peoples for Islamic emirates out
of the resulting chaos, and bring these emirates together to become a true Islamic state.
Their writings also expose weaknesses in their strategy, and this paper explores some of
those potential vulnerabilities as well.