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ABC News reports that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has released a list of English-language material recovered during the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan in 2011 including one document dubbed "Instructions to Applicants," that would not be entirely out of place for an entry-level position at any American company – except for questions like the one about the applicant's willingness to blow themselves up. The questionnaire includes basic personal details, family history, marital status, and education level. It asks that applicants "answer the required information accurately and truthfully" and, "Please write clearly and legibly." Questions include: Is the applicant expert in chemistry, communications or any other field? Do they have a family member in the government who would cooperate with al Qaeda? Have they received any military training? Finally, it asks what the would-be jihadist would like to accomplish and, "Do you wish to execute a suicide operation?" For the final question, the application asks would-be killers that if they were to become martyrs, who should al Qaeda contact?
The corporate tone of the application is jarringly amusing, writes Amanda Taub, but it also hints at a larger truth: a terrorist organization like al-Qaeda is a large bureaucratic organization, albeit one in the "business" of mass-murdering innocent people. Jon Sopel, the North American editor from BBC News, joked that the application "looks like it has been written by someone who has spent too long working for Deloitte or Accenture, but bureaucracy exists in every walk of life – so why not on the path to violent jihad?"
(Score: 3, Interesting) by looorg on Friday May 22 2015, @08:16PM
I don't see how this could really be all that surprising. After all, some of, these organizations control or have access to, many, thousands of members. That is somewhat beyond what most people can memorize so some form of bureaucracy is needed. But much like in many other organizations most of the applicants are probably just standard cannon-fodder filling low skill position that are replaceable by whatever next applicant happens to come by next -- the amount of (medical-) doctors or chemical engineers applying is probably not staggering. So it would be nice to know which these special skill-set people are and set them aside for your bigger goals.
So just like any business (even if yours is terror and death) they like to know your special skills and then see how those fit into their plans and how they can best utilize your skill set to further their own goals. Looking thru the document translated by the DNI a lot of the questions tie into each-other. Even the once regarding your willingness to become a suicide bomber. The questions they ask makes a lot of sense from their point of view such as level of education (ability to learn new and abstract things and also which form of persuasion or manipulation might be used upon you), if you know prominent people or have government contacts that are willing to aid since that will or could provide more targets or access to targets (and aid), family members so they know whom to inform when you die and also if they have some kinda of death benefit plan whom should receive the payout.
Checking the box for suicide-bomber tho is probably not the main recruitment goal for that type of people since I do assume it takes a certain type to commit those kinds of acts, plus your employment period would be drastically short and end with a bang.
(Score: 3, Funny) by bob_super on Friday May 22 2015, @09:03PM
You mean, they'd need a database. Maybe they should have thought of this. I'll shoot an e-mail to them.
How do you say "the base" in Arabic?
(Score: 3, Funny) by looorg on Friday May 22 2015, @09:08PM
A single database? Why think so small. I'm sure there is an amazing SAP solution they could install that would solve all their problems and needs ... once they get it running.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Pslytely Psycho on Saturday May 23 2015, @09:44AM
"Checking the box for suicide-bomber tho is probably not the main recruitment goal for that type of people since I do assume it takes a certain type to commit those kinds of acts, plus your employment period would be drastically short and end with a bang."
Not to mention it's quite difficult to list any successful prior experience.
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