The Foundation

Jesse Walker | December 1, 2003

Terrorism specialists Adam Dolnik and Kimberly McCloud argue that "Al Qaeda" is a phrase that has come to obscure more than it illuminates. It's time, they tell sp!ked, to defuse "the widespread image of al-Qaeda as a ubiquitous, super-organised terror network and call it as it is: a loose collection of groups and individuals that doesn't even refer to itself as al-Qaeda."

Yes, I know: You already knew that. You should read the article anyway. The language we use can alter the way we see things, and the piece is a useful reminder of what we forget when we rely too much on the words "Al Qaeda."