Final answer:
Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda's goals included spreading Islamic theology and striking fear through acts of terrorism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The goals of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda included:
- Spreading sound Islamic theology throughout the world: Osama bin Laden sought to promote his version of Islam and establish an Islamic caliphate.
- Striking fear and causing disruption: Al-Qaeda aimed to carry out acts of terrorism to create fear and chaos among their enemies, particularly targeting Western countries.
It is important to note that al-Qaeda's goals were not focused on bringing the world under one single government or protecting the people of Western Asia.
Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda aimed to fight a holy war against the West and establish radical Islamic rule, seeing Western influence as a threat to their ideology. Their goals materialized in terrorist acts like the September 11 attacks, which fundamentally opposed the secular and financial systems from which bin Laden's family derived its wealth.
Osama bin Laden and his terrorist organization al-Qaeda had several goals, all enmeshed in a radical ideology and a desire to challenge what they saw as Western interference in Muslim countries. Their primary agendas included waging 'jihad' (a holy war) against the West and the United States, establishing a form of Islamic rule based on their interpretation of Sharia law, and removing Western influence from the Islamic world. Al-Qaeda engaged in various acts of terrorism, including the September 11 attacks, to advance these objectives and strike what they saw as a blow against the principal sources of what they defined as global injustice.
Bin Laden's hatred for the West grew despite his family's wealth originating from the same systems he opposed. After the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, bin Laden remained there and continued to build al-Qaeda into an anti-Western network. Ironically, the organization and its leaders had received support from the United States during the Soviet occupation, a fact that highlights the complex history of the region and the shifting alliances within international politics.