Techreport,
The Business of Terror: Al-Qaeda as a Multi-National Corporation
University of Denver, (September 2004)
Abstract
According to Robert Gilpin, a multi-national corporation (MNC) can
be defined as, ä firm that owns and manages economic units in two
or more countries." In many ways, Al Qaeda, and particularly its
leader Usama bin Laden (henceforth UBL), reflect this concept of
an MNC, albeit this structure pursues political goals rather than
economic ones. The organization consists of multi-national actors
who operate in 40-50 countries world-wide. While the "headquarters"
provides broad direction and support, local organizations are tailored
to perceived local goals, often using local "employees." Overall,
al-Qaeda must contend with office politics, operations, budgets,
and even embezzlement by employees. Moreover, its leadership normally
resorts to many aspects of foreign direct investment and joint ventures
as part of the day to day organizational management. This is due
to the economic and business backgrounds of UBL and many of his
cohorts.
