Historical Dictionary of Terrorism Third Edition

QA’EDA, AL • 557Am Flight 103 resulted in the lifting of the United Nations (UN)sanctions on 5 April 1999. Many Arab diplomats have stated that Qaddafihas become a more mature and responsible leader and appearsto have given up much of his previous involvement in state sponsorshipof terrorism. Following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003,Qaddafi announced that Libya would cease pursuing its weapons ofmass destruction program, which included a program for the developmentof nuclear weapons. On 15 August 2005 Libya’s ambassadorto the United Nations presented a letter to the UN Security Councilaccepting responsibility for the actions of its officials with respectto the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 bombing, and Libya proceeded topay $8 million in compensation to the families of each victim. TheUnited Nations lifted all remaining sanctions, and on 15 May 2006the United States removed Libya from its list of state sponsors ofterrorism and resumed diplomatic relations.QA’EDA, AL. Alternative spelling Al Qa’ida and full Arabia name AlQa’ida al Sulbah, “the solid base” is the Islamic fundamentalist organizationled by Osama bin Laden. The various goals of this groupare reflected in the multitude of names it has used, such as the IslamicArmy for the Liberation of the Holy Places, the Group for the Protectionof the Holy Sites, and the World Islamic Front for Jihad against Jewsand Crusaders, among others. Its terrorism has been directed both atgovernment and civilian targets, such as the World Trade Center andPentagon attacks of September 11, 2001. It targets primarily Westernnations, such as the United States, perceived as enemies of Islam. Secondarily,it targets pro-U.S. Muslim governments, such as Saudi Arabiaor Egypt, perceived as apostate regimes. Finally, it targets rival Muslimgroups and secularized Muslim elites. It seeks to restore the caliphate, apan-Islamic state based on Sunni Muslim precepts.The group was formed by Sheikh Abdullah Azzam, a Palestinian Islamicfundamentalist in Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood who enteredPakistan in 1979 to aid the Afghan resistance. Joined by Osama binLaden, together they first founded the Maktab al Khidamat (MAK)or Services Office, in 1984, renamed al Qa’eda in 1987–1988, torecruit Arabs and other Sunni Muslims to fight the Soviets. After theend of the Afghan jihad, the MAK sought to maintain unity amongthe veterans who were committed to using revolutionary violence toachieve their own Islamic fundamentalist political program. Azzam