#1 Bruguière described radical Islamism as built on three circles: an inner core that is Al-Qaeda proper; a tier of radical groups with regional agendas that moved into Al-Qaeda's orbit after September 11; and a loose outer ring of "shifting, polymorphous movements, pursuing their own goals and with their own memberships."
"When you have a three-level structure like this, the almost random interaction between them makes it extremely hard to draw up a precise model of the threat. No one can draw up a clear analytical picture. It is too complex," he said. |