Maintaining Course or Righting the Ship? Examining Adjustments in Al-Qaeda’s Communicative Approach

James Paterson

Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 2025, vol. 48, issue 9, 1009-1031

Abstract: This article presents a comparison of al-Qaeda’s messaging output between two time periods, the late 1990’s-2001 and 2011–2020, with the purpose of highlighting changes as well as continuities in the movement’s articulated priorities, tactics, and strategies. This comparison will illustrate the degree of flexibility and pragmatism is the movement’s publicized strategy. From this, this article will highlight the extent to which al-Qaeda views its own ideology as immutable or adjustable. This article argues that although the movement has demonstrated a significant degree of adaptability in its messaging approach, it likewise demonstrates strong elements of narrative continuity.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/1057610X.2022.2161363

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