Conclusions

Abstract

The events of 11 September 2001 revealed the vulnerability of the US to non-traditional security threats. Islamic political violence had permeated the borders of the US previously, however, not in such an unprecedented manner. More pressing to international politics, it demonstrated that the Salafi Jihadist project could not be conceived of as contained within the Islamic world and its periphery. The historical debate regarding Islamic unity and religiously sanctioned governance entered the global stage as the international system in the post-World War Two period became increasingly consolidated, serving to further hamper the realisation of the Salafi Jihadist’s objectives. The conflict is now directed globally, as the hegemonic powers that underwrite the international order are as problematic as the holders of power in the Islamic world. The events of 9/11 did not force the US to retreat from the world, abandon its Middle Eastern allies or cripple its financial institutions. It did not inspire Muslims to unite against the hegemonic power. The event was, however, paradigm altering, ushering in the War on Terror and reorganising the structure of international relations. The invasion disrupted al-Qaeda’s command and control capabilities transforming it from a central organisation with a defined hierarchy into a phenomenon that can also be understood in ideological terms.