The challenge of profiling terrorist leaders or its group members has been largely debated. There is no clear or concise evidence that a profiling framework exists. Most researches base their findings on facts where as the terrorist embrace religious beliefs. In the case of the GIA, local communities were affected by targeting government, education, religious and banking institutions. Algerian citizens or long term visitors who identified with values other than Muslims were killed such as Christians and Jews.
Young men suffering from poverty were also recruited and tailored to believe the ideals of the GIA. Terrorist members share many common denominator that exist in American society with gangs and violence. The violence by terrorists members is not one-dimensional, it is both organizational and individual. They share a common collective identity. When attacks are on the community it is often due to a threat of one’s honor outside the community. Attacks on people are carried out from the perception of a threat to the honor of the individual or organization they represent. Ambition and frustration are causes of attacks on local agencies or business who refuse to engage in business or religious practices with the terrorists organization. Justifications of their actions are justified in some way through the teachings of Islamic beliefs, self sacrifice outweighs the guilt created by harming the innocent. Systematically members terrorize individual groups, communities, and governments into conceding to their political demands.
GIA members are victims as well as victimizers and are affected both directly and indirectly by violence. Poor economic growth encourage the emergence of terrorist. Leaders in the organization provide guidance, structure, codes of conduct, economic stimulus and spiritualism.
The Algerian Civil War brought about an extermination mindset members of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA). Cities in the northern region of Algeria became the focus of recruitment with membership from Afghanistan War Veterans(www.globaljihad.net).
The ideology of the GIA was formed in Europe in contrast to pluralism. Support of pluralism was viewed as sedition therefore, Algerian Muslims who embraced pluralism were violently murdered. The organization has been lead by Mohammed Allel, when it received it’s notoriety for attacking law enforcement and government representatives (www.en.wikipedia.org) In 1992 the GIA was led by Moh Leveilly and later that year Leveilly’s first lieutenant, Abdelhak Layada pronounced himself as the GIA National Chief. The public declaration was made once Leveilly was assassinated by the United Islamic Army. Layada divided the Algerian territory into 9 military areas appointing lieutenants and regional chiefs with each cell consisting of ten to twenty members (www.library.cornell.edu).
In 1993 GIA leadership was passed to Ahmed Abu Abdullah. A
