Congressional Forum on Islam: Al-Qaeda's Dissident Voices

Among al Qaeda theorists and scholars, the Syrian born Abu Mus'ab Al-Suri stands out for his willingness to criticize both the jihadi movement and its leading figures, including Usama bin Laden. His prolific work highlights the often overlooked, yet numerous debates inside al Qaeda and the broader jihadi movement over tactics and strategy to pursue jihad. This schism was analyzed by Dr. Brynjar Lia, research professor at the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment (FFI), on December 4, 2007 as part of the CSIS Congressional Forum on Islam. Lia, author of Architect of Global Jihad: The Life of Al-Qaeda Strategist Abu Mus'ab Al-Suri (Columbia University Press, 2007), presented the ideas of one of the dissident voices in the movement and leading Jihadist scholar Mustafa bin Abd al-Qadir Setmariam Nasar, also known as Abu Mus'ab Al-Suri.