'C01179013 4 b 1 b 3 EO 12958 1 4 b 25Yrs EO 12958 1 4 c 25Yrs EO 12958 1 4 d 25Yrs EO 12958 1 4 e 25Yrs EO 12958 3 5 c • -i CJ ence Re ort 27 January 1999 How Bin Ladin-Commands a Global Terrorist NetworLJ · Usama Bin Ladin is the ulti mate decisionmaker in the organization he calls alQa'ida or the Base He is direcdy involved in the planning of terrorist operations and oversees those in his g_ro u res onsible or terrorism even when he is one ste removed rom the details • Bin Ladin is the commander or amir of al-Qa'ida-members pledge loyalty to him personally-and chairs a leadership council that makes policy decisions His deputy Muhammad 'Atif appears responsible for managing day-to-day activities including terrorist operations • Al-Qa'ida on paper is structured like a global criminal syndicate or mini-state with political financial administrative lega military security and intelligence components we have identified severiJl senior leaders of al-Qa'ida other key personnel and several operati onal hubs Bin Ladin 's lieutenants in Afghanistan pull the strings that move terrorist military and political operati ves worldwide-both those who have sworn personal loyalty to Bin La din and members of closely allied groups -- - - -- -- _------- --- ---_J Al-Qa'ida's wide network in some 60 countries as well as its ties to like-minded groups enables it to conduct more than one major tellorist opera ion simultaneously and adapt readily to change • Al-Qa'ida develops rel ationships with sympathetic groups and individuals through its own rel igious nu1itary and terrorist training programs in Afghanistan assistance to Islamic insurgent movements in various countries and exploitation ofcontacts in certain Islamic relief organizations CTC# 99-40003 APPROVED FOR RELEASEL DATE 25-April-2012 COJ 179013 2 CQ1 l 79Q13 - I Bin Ladin at the-Helm U Bin Ladin is al-Qa'ida's amir an Arabic Islanu c term for commander and he founded the organization to bring together non-Afghan veterans of the Afghan war against the Soviets to promote worldwide Islamic jihad activity including terrorism Reporting suggests he involves himself directly in overall planning for terrorist operations and makes the final decisions He appears to leave many day-to-day ooerational details to bis de u Muhammad 'Atif-also known as Abu _Hafs the Egypti I • 'Atif plays a central role in coordinatin the activities of Bin Ladin o eratives abroa The Bureaucracy for Terrorism Bin Ladin or his deputy preside over the dehoerations of a shura advisory council called the Leadership Council which makes ma ·or o erational and bud etary decisions with the amir havin the decidin vote - ---1 This memorandum was prepared by analysts of the DCI Counterterrorist Center · arc welcome and ma be directed to CQ1179013 ' I '---- - -- --- -- ---- - - --____ _ -Jlfhe Executive Council manages several coIIlilllttees notably incluclin a Militarv Committee that handles training of jihad vouth and combat operation • · I 4 l C0l 179Ql3 • Khalid Fawwaz Bin Ladin's senior representative in London until bis arrest last September maintained conta Fd handled media plac'-em-en-- ts - ---- in ------ cl -u- din -----g 'W - --est e_m _ ___J __ jo_u_m_al t st-s '-m-te_rv1_ Jewsl I Bin Ladin' s statement or •'jatwd' Muslim legal opinion last February that announced the formation of the •world Islamic Front for Tth ad Against the Jews and Crusaders reflects bis long-term effort to unite Islamic extremist groups under bis banner Only a few groups signed the statement but he has built informal alliances with a variety of Islamic militant organizations and mujahidin worldwide with al-Qa'ida as a nexus for 1 vaned forms of cooperation • Cooperative arrangements Allied groups share some members with alQatida receive funding from it and allow al-Qa•ida members to their facilitie$ and contacts Bin Ladin can call upon these groups for logistical support and in some cases assistan e with terrorist operations These groups include mujahidin organizations and Islamic extremist groupssuch as the Somali al-Ittihad al-Islami Chechen insurgents and the Yemeni Islamic Tth ad-iri the Middle East Africa and Asia use C01179013 ' - a 1 a provi es mem ers o network training safehaven rµoneymaking opportunities access to arms and illicit material publishing and media facilities communications transportation documentation technical support intelligence counterintelligence and liaison with other groups I I· In addition to support from other groups Bin Ladin taps into the resources of some international Islamic nongovernmental organizations NGOs for financial and logistical support Employees a few NGO branch offices have diverted resources to benefit Bin Ladin and his associates I lBin L a-d in- -p w rt-s- these NGO ties to channel funds and obtain cover employment and' travel assistance 'for his associates I pf I i co 1 179_013 An Organization Designed for Flexibility U Al-Qa'ida's command structure combined with its web o international alliances serves Bin Ladin well in condu · CT terrorist o erations abroad sufficient for the organization to un e e more an one terronst op era t1 on ----simultaneously The posting ofkey Bin Ladin personnel like Fawwiul dispersed locations with good communications with el em-ent_s_in-se_v_e-ral _ ___ c-ou-n tn · es-al-- ---'so enhances the ability to Toup quickly ifBin Lad_in is again Im networkr compelled to m ive his headquarters l I 7 COll 7 9 0 1 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - C0 117 90 13 • Subject How Bin Ladin Commands a Global Terrorist Network COl l 79013 -· 9 ·co1179013 Tup Secret Subject How Bin Ladin Commands a Global Terrorist Network Distribution External Department of State - dward G Abin D Assistant Secretary INR I - David Carpenter Assistant Secretary of State Dip omatlc ecurity 1 - Ambassador Johnnie Carson De uty Assistant Secretary of State for Africa 1 - Marc Grossman Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian -- 1 - Karl Inderfurth Assistant Secretary for South Asian Affairs 1 - Amb Martin Ind Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs I - Amb E Gibson Lanpher Principal Deputy Assistant ecretary or Affairs 1 - Phyllis Oakley Assistant Secretary of State for Ip telligence and Research I - Amb Thomas Pickering Under Secretary for Political Affairs I - Susan Rice Assistant Secretary for African Affairs I - Alan Romberg Acting Director Policy Planning Staff 1 - Dennis B Ross Special Middle East Coordinator COl 179013 Tars See1•et 1 - Ambassador Michael Sheehan Coordinator for Counterterrorism 1 - Strobe Talbott Deputy Secretary of State National Security Council 1 - Donald Bandier Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European Affairs 1 - Daniel Benjamin Director of Counterterrorism 1 - The Honorable Samuel R Berger Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs 1 - Richard A Clarke Special Assistant to the President and National Coordinator for Secmitv Infra structure Protection and Counterterrorism I - Major General Donald Kenick Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs 1 - John Prendergast Director Hom of Afi ica 1 - Bruce Riede Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Near East and South Asian Affairs 1 - Steven A Simon Director of Counterterrorism 1 - Gayle Smith Senior Director for Afi ican Affairs 1 - James Steinberg Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Office ofthe Vice President · ---- -------__ ' I - 1 - Leon Fue Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs Department o e ense 1 - LTG Edward G Anderson TIT Director JS Strategic Plans Policy I I - MajGen John P Casciano Assistant I Chief of St Air Force Intelligence 1 - V ADM Vern E Clark Director J-3 Op rations · 1 - BGen Richard Comer De u Assistant Secretary Missions Policy SOLIC 1 - Keith Hal Director National Reconnaissance ce C0 179013 T n Smil 1 1 - H Allen Holmes Assistant Secretary Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict 1 - LTG Patrick M Hughes Director Defense Intelligence Agency - RADM Lowell E Jacob Director Naval Intelli ence 1 - Franklin D Kramer Assistant Secretary o Affairs · 1 - Gen Charles C Krulak Commandant of the Marine Corps ecunty 1 - Gen Josep ston ice l - Alina Romanowski Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs I - Walter Slocombe Under Secretary of Defense for Polley 1 - Frederick Smith Principal Deputy Assistant Secr etary of Defense for ISA 1 - RAdm Thomas Wilson Director o Federal Bureau oflnvesti ation 1 - Dale Watson Deputy Assistant Director for Terrorism 12 COl 179013 Tee SeeRt National Securitv APencv 1 - LTG Kenneth Minihan Director 1 - Director USSS 1 - Mark M Richard Deputy Assistant Attorney General Cnmmal D1vis10n I l J I COl 179013 - - I I