Osama's World

By Mitch Frank

A war against al-Qaeda will be a conflict like no other. A loose network of two dozen terrorist groups united by Osama Bin Laden's pan-Islamic vision, "the Base" may have as many as 5,000 members in terrorist cells in at least 50 countries, including the U.S.

A COMPLEX WEB

The top of al-Qaeda is a rigid hierarchy. Lower down, the organization becomes murkier. Cells of terrorists belonging to groups like Islamic Jihad or Hamas train in bin Laden's camps, then carry out operations. Commando cells are the fighters and suicide bombers. Other cells provide logistic and planning support. Most are highly compartmentalized, with no idea what others are up to.

Emir General Osama Bin Laden

Top lieutenants Ayman al-Zawahiri Mohammed Atef Military operations

Shura Majlis (Council governing four committees) Religious/legal Finance Media Military

Individual terrorist cells

PAYING THE WAGES OF TERROR

While bin Laden has a huge personal fortune, the U.S. has had some success in cutting him off from his assets. Al-Qaeda gets funds from sympathizers in oil-rich gulf states and from otherwise legitimate Islamic charities. Recently it has turned more to criminal sources, including arms dealing. Cells have been forced to use petty theft, credit-card fraud and other scams to finance themselves.

IRAN The radical Shi'ite government here detests the radical Wahhabi Sunnis of the Taliban and al-Qaeda

INDIA Bin Laden supports Pakistan's fight for Kashmir. New Delhi, which also claims Kashmir, has been strengthening ties to Washington

AFGHANISTAN, OSAMA BIN LADEN AND AL-QAEDA HEADQUARTERS

AFGHANISTAN Bin Laden and other extremists have made Afghanistan an academy for terrorists. Welcomed back by the Taliban in 1996, bin Laden has about a dozen training camps here and provides a 1,000-man brigade of fighters to the Taliban for their civil war. While his family is believed to be in Kandahar, bin Laden moves daily in an elusive caravan.

COUNTRIES WITH AL-QAEDA GROUPS

ALGERIA In the past four years, al-Qaeda has increasingly used terrorists from Algerian allies like the Armed Islamic Group and the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat.

EGYPT Revolutionary groups like Islamic Jihad and al-Gama al-Islamiyya play a major role in al-Queda.

SUDAN The civil war-torn nation played host to bin Laden from 1991 to 1996. The U.S. pressured Sudan into expelling him, but he still has supporters there.

PAKISTAN President Pervez Musharraf is in a tight spot. Many in his nation see bin Laden as a hero. But can Musharraf afford to upset the U.S.?

KASHMIR Groups: Harakat ul Mujahedin, Sipah e Sahaba Kashmir

LEBANON Groups: Hizballah, Asbat al-Asnar

WEST BANK Groups: Abu Nidal, Hamas

YEMEN

COUNTRIES WITH SUSPECTED AL-QAEDA CELLS

LIBYA Not as active in terror anymore, but some Libyans have trained under al-Qaeda. Gaddafi is no fan of bin Laden.

IRAQ Saddam Hussein's rule is secular, but he shares bin Laden's hatred of the U.S.

BRITAIN BELGIUM FRANCE GERMANY ITALY BOSNIA ALBANIA BULGARIA MOROCCO TUNISIA TURKEY SYRIA JORDAN SAUDI ARABIA KUWAIT ETHIOPIA TANZANIA KENYA SOMALIA ERITREA UGANDA RUSSIA UZBEKISTAN BANGLADESH

TERRORIST ACTS LINKED TO BIN LADEN

Riyadh Nov. 13, 1995 The U.S. believes bin Laden is responsible for a car-bomb attack, which killed five Americans and two Indians.

Aden Oct. 12, 2000 A small boat pulled beside a destroyer, the U.S.S. Cole, while it was refueling, and exploded, killing 17 sailors.

Mogadishu Oct. 3, 1993 Bin Laden has hinted his men killed 18 Army Rangers in a firefight in the Somali capital during U.S. operations there. No firm evidence.

Nairobi Dar es Salaam Aug. 7, 1998 Car bombs exploded outside U.S. embassies in the two African capitals, killing 224 people. Bin Laden was later indicted for the attacks.