Al Qaeda and its Affiliates

Al Qaeda and its affiliates are operating much like a global tribe waging segmental warfare, writes David F. Ronfeldt, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, in this independently published paper. Ronfeldt describes the dynamics of classic tribes – what drives them, how they organize, how they fight – and argues that Al Qaeda fits this tribal paradigm. The war they are waging is more about virulent tribalism than religion, Ronfeldt maintains. The tribal paradigm should therefore supplement prevailing paradigms that policymakers use to develop effective strategies for countering these violent actors. "It is often pointed out that Al Qaeda represents a post-modern, information-age phenomenon," writes Ronfeldt, "But it is time to balance this with a recognition that Al Qaeda also represents a resurgence of tribalism that is both reacting to and taking advantage of the information revolution and other aspects of globalization." – YaleGlobal