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Considering that the logic of terrorism involves the use of violence to instill fear and to intimidate governments and societies, in order to accomplish specifi c political, religious, or ideological objectives, the eff ectiveness of suicidal terrorism as a tool to attain the desired results is self-evident. The suicidal terrorist acts follow a remarkably well thought out strategical logic; although most of the executors can be regarded as irrational or fanatical individuals, their leaders, who recruit and indoctrinate them, have an outstanding strategical intuition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty years after the most devastating terrorist attacks, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the immediate takeover of the country by the Taliban represent the greatest strategic success for Al-Qaeda and the global jihadist movement since 9/11. Understanding how to implement a military strategy in Afghanistan has a number of key features. First, the nature of irregular warfare makes it extremely diffi cult to assess the eff ectiveness of a strategy, leading coalition forces to rely on partial, incomplete, or misleading tactical and operational data to measure strategic progress. Without obvious strategic values, neither civilians nor military leaders can gain a clear understanding of strategic progress in an operational environment characterized by obscurity and societal fragmentation. Second, the military’s attempts to provide decision-makers with the justifi cation for tactical actions taken and the strategic value of operational control of territories, constantly providing positive assessments of tactical and operational progress, led to a picture of the surreal operational environment, which strengthened the approach. strictly military of the second phase of the joint mission in the theater of operations Afghanistan [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrorism is widely seen as one of the biggest threats of the 21st century. Its aggents are difficult to identify, to deter and to link to a specific state or nation. The Islamic Maghreb is an ecclectic and cosmopolitan space, whose diversity could produce also transational threats, able to spill over and affect regional, but also international security. The "mythology" of Al Qaeda is already a source of inspiration for a dozens of terrorist groups. Knowing the pattern of Al Qaeda-like organizations is vital for the international community in order to be safe. The world economic crisis seems to have enhanced this tendency towards religious extremism. Security against terrorism first must be based on access to information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to emphasize the dual image of Osama bin Laden. While during the anti-communist war in Afganistan he was sanctified because of his piety, heroism and struggle for the reunification of the umma, in the post-9/11 world he was perceived as a demon. Al-Qaeda's brutal crusade caused a lot of damage not only to westerners, but also to the muslim world, by killing hundreds of innocent muslim civilians, provoking the so-called islamophobia or fear of islamic believers in the West and by transforming Irak and Afganistan in battlefields of the war on terror. Bin Laden lost his positive popularity and a huge amount of followers, Al-Qaeda became attractive only for a small number of fanatics. The news of bin Laden's death was perceived and celebrated by americans as a victory of Good over Evil, and received as a relief by most of muslim Meanwhile, in Pakistan, the members of an islamic party protested against the US and the Al-Qaeda promised revenge for the „martyr of jihad“. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For an enemy to be dangerous, it is considered that he must get together big armies. Threats appeared slowly, many times variable as the weapons were produced, the armies recruited and the units instructed and placed on positions. At the present time, threats can appear very quick. Organizations such as Al Qaeda, situated in a country on the other corner of the world, in a poor region in which there is no electricity or cell phones, can plan utilizing weapons with an immense power of destruction, in the biggest cities of United States. First phase in this sense is represented by military action of overthrowing the talibans and keep track of Al Qaeda organization, activity which will continue. Long term success asks for the utilizing of all the elements that keep hold of national power : diplomacy, informational services, undercover actions, applying the law, economic politics, foreign help, public diplomacy, country's defense, efficient monitoring of the borders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

War, in its various forms, still represents even in the XXI century a common manner for states as well as for ethnic, political and religious groups to settle disputes. The geopolitical context, marked by the al Qaeda attacks on the USA, and the multiple world events they determined lead to major changes for the armed violence character and simultaneously for its moral implications. Therefore, the present analysis subjects the relevance of the just war theory for the new international realities, the degree to which the theory needs a revision of its classical categories ius ad bellum and ius in bello or, on the contrary, an abandonment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]