“The International System and al-Qaida”

The issue of al-Qaida and it’s involvement in the international system is an open debate.  It goes back to the theoretical interpretations of the system, with differing views within those theories.  Some liberalists would view the early al-Qaida as being a substate actor that influenced politics in Afghanistan.  Others can’t understand why al-Qaida doesn’t have a common interest like the rest of the democratic world.  Most all liberals can’t understand why al-Qaida won’t change its politics.  Realists would see al-Qaida as another proof of an anarchic world and the need to counter al-Qaida’s rise to power with power.  al-Qaida can’t gain weapons of mass destruction as that would be a threat to freedom across the world.  In contrast, al-Qaida seeks its own “national” interests, the spread of Islam.  Leaders of al-Qaida think that Arabs are dominant and have the power to change America due to their holdings of oil.  The West sees this as a threat and pursues its own interests in securing supply of oil.  al-Qaida sees the West as exploiting the resources given to the Arab world and that Arabs should protect these resources at all means.  The international system is mostly based on social norms which change over time.  However, some actors in the system, like al-Qaida, don’t conform to these norms which causes problems that don’t get resolved until change occurs on the individual level.