A book by al-Qaeda's new leader reveals shifting strategies

He advocates a departure from rigid adherence to familiar plans, urging jihadists to think outside the box and act unpredictably. This approach aims to keep the enemy off balance, making predictions about jihadist moves nearly impossible.

Leadership is a pivotal element in al-Adl's vision. He emphasises that leaders should possess a blend of knowledge, experience, and the ability to command respect and loyalty. According to al-Adl, effective leaders should also be receptive to input from rank-and-file members, fostering a culture of teamwork within jihadist organisations.

Civilians should not be targeted

Al-Adl's strategic philosophy strongly discourages attacks on civilian targets. His rationale is rooted in the belief that such actions contradict Islamic principles and undermine the acceptance of their call to Islam, "If we target the general public, how can we expect their people to accept our call to Islam?".

Instead, he urges jihadists to focus on security, military personnel, and government institutions, which he views as legitimate targets.

Al-Adl also highlights the importance of creating chaos through well-coordinated attacks to instil fear in rival governments and communities, including Western governments, Israel, and their local "agents" in Muslim-majority states.

He argues that attacks cannot be successful or have a real impact on the enemy unless done serially, accompanied by a robust propaganda machine to instil terror, "so they feel no place is safe." Throughout his book, he focuses on the importance of psychological warfare to break enemies.

Critique of past policies

The book also addresses the issue of former partners who broke ties with al-Qaeda, implicitly criticising their actions. Al-Adl emphasises that a group's leadership must be proactive and firm in initiating the severance of ties with such partners, or immediately expel suspected elements within its ranks.

Notably, his view may constitute indirect criticism of al-Qaeda's past dealings with affiliates, especially Islamic State (IS) and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which were seen as slow and indecisive under al-Zawahiri.

Al-Adl places great importance on the Muslim masses as the ideal partners for jihadist groups, promoting a strategy that focuses on winning the hearts and minds of the broader Muslim community, in line with al-Qaeda's traditional approach.

The implications of these strategic shifts for al-Qaeda's actions and alliances remain to be seen. However, their potential danger, especially if coupled with al-Adl's leadership, should not be underestimated.

They could lead to a more dynamic and less ideologically rigid organisation. Vigilance and rigorous analysis of such materials are indispensable in comprehending and countering the evolving threat posed by al-Qaeda and like-minded groups.