Osama Bin Laden: Communication and Influence, Essay Example

The means of communication utilized by an individual or organization can have profound effects.  These effects relate to the establishment of organizational ideas that allow for a common identity and a focused goal-orientated perspective. Osama Bin Laden utilized various forms of communication throughout his career in order to promote his influence upon his audience up until his death.  This includes various forms of publications as well as effective strategies of communicating ideological perspectives to groups in order to bring them to his side.  The methods used by Bin Laden, therefore, present the need for analysis in order to develop a better idea of how leaders utilize communication in order to effect an influence on groups or indivdiuals.

In understanding the various means of communication that are utilized by terrorist organizations, such as Al Qaeda, an understanding of their underlying organizational structures can help to determine more effective ways of combating their methods.  One important implication of this idea is that the acts of violence that are committed present challenges to the international community.  In this way, terrorism itself can be considered a communication strategy.  The 9/11 attacks were essentially attacks against “symbols of American economic and military power” (Hashim 11).  These attacks are, therefore, ideological representations of an underlying struggle.  The strategies of terrorist groups, particularly those utilized by Osama Bin Laden can help to establish an idea of how these strategies promote extremist activities.

One of the most effective strategies utilized by Bin Laden is the establishment of a common enemy. This is a method that he has used since early in his career.  “Upon his arrival in Afghanistan, Bin Laden began to develop his conception of who the outside enemy was” (Hashim 20).  The use of the Soviet Union as a source of a common ideological enemy presented him with the opportunity to establish a more cohesive power structure.  In this sense, his use of “political and organizational skills, flexibility, and opportunism” (Hashim 21) indicate that he effectively used this strategy in order to promote his idea and gain followers.

In 1982 he began to establish himself as an important figure in the ongoing struggles in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union.  He established the Maktab al Khidamat, also known as the Jihad Service Bureau.  This organization was essentially a “propaganda and charity organization” (Hashim 21).  The publications that were created by this group were an effective means in winning many Muslims and non-Muslims to join in the fight.  This presents an early indication of his ability to utilize available sources in order to create effective means of promoting his message.

During the 1990s, his focus was changed to the West at the collapse of the Soviet Union and the introduction of American forces into the Middle East.  He wrote letters to the ruler of Saudi Arabia arguing against allowing American forces into the region.  In articles such as “Declaration of the World Islamic Front” and “Declaration of War” he developed his views of what he deemed to be “infidels” and their aggression in the region.  These were included in various Islamist publications which helped to promote his ideas to a larger number of people with similar ideas.

After 9/11, mounting aggression between the United States and Afghansitan prompted him to comment on the need for conflict.  “Bin Laden spoke apocalyptically of the possibility of a war between Muslim and non-Muslim” (Hashim 29). This speech presented an ultimatem to those that shared his religion and essentially split the population of Muslims into those who believed in this war and those who did not.  In this way, he was able to “widen his base of support beyond those ideologically sympathetic to him” (Hashim 29).  By using ideologies and perspectives that were common among the groups in order to focus them on a common enemy he created a coherent network of power.

After this point in time, Osama Bin Laden worked to develop a narrative that would allow him to establish a more cohesive relationship among various ideological groups in order to create a larger power base. This narrative effectively pitted these groups against a common enemy in order to collaborate.  “Bin Laden has worked to minimize differences between the groups within the organization, emphasizing their similarities and uniting them with the vision of a common enemy – the West” (Post 18).  This is an important method that he utilized in order to gather followers and establish influence over them.

The group has essentially built upon the common identities that various ideological and religious organizations share with one another.  In this sense, his strategy “relies on familial ties and relationships, spotters in mosques who identify potential recruits and the volunteering of many members” (Post 18).  This presents the underlying conditions in which many are folded into his organization. The use of personal connections as well as common ideals and identities is important in understanding his methods of establishing influence on his followers. This, alongside the use of terrorist activities allowed him to extend this reach to a larger portion of the world.

The death of Bin Laden, therefore, indicates that the overall structures of communication within the groups will be undermined to an extent.  This will, in effect, render the various cells of Al Qaeda less effective in implementing coordinated efforts in the future. “Weakened core-regional ties may also lead global affiliates to become even more operationally and autonomous and diverse” (Rollins 5). This demonstrates how his use of communication strategies allowed him to promote his ideological perspective in order to gather followers to his organization.

References

Hashim, Ahmed S. The World According to Usama Bin Laden. Naval War College Review. 2001.

Post, Jerrold M. Killing in the Name of God: Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda. The Counterproliferation Papers. 2002.

Rollins, John. Osama bin Laden’s Death: Implications and Considerations. Congressional Research Center. 2011.

Zanini, Michele. The Networking of Terror in the Information Age. Networks and Netwars: The Future of Terror, Crime, and Militancy. 2010.