Naming Osama Bin Laden’s Successor

The Takeaway

Speculation continues regarding the future of al-Qaida’s leadership following the killing of its leader Osama bin Laden. There are rules governing who is next in line, explains Leah Farrall. Farrall is the  former Senior Counter-Terrorism Analyst for the Australian Federal Police and currently the author of the blog, All Things Counter-Terrorism. In a recent article for Foreign Policy magazine, she writes that “like any good corporation, the terror network has a strict series of rules and regulations it must adhere to in naming a successor. Rules that provide insight into how any future power struggles may play out.” And these rules point to number two leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Less than .05% of listeners will donate. Can we count on you?

Our coverage reaches millions each week, but only a small fraction of listeners contribute to sustain our program. We still need 224 more people to donate $100 or $10/monthly to unlock our $67,000 match. Will you help us get there today?