Before the rise of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, al-Qaeda was the most-feared jihadi group in the world. But like a nimble start-up, ISIS broke away from al-Qaeda and let the parent fight the big powers, while it used new tactics and social media to gain money, power and a big reputation.
Tomorrow will mark the one-year anniversary of the Navy SEAL raid on Osama bin Laden’s complex in Abbottabad, Pakistan. In the immediate aftermath of the al Qaeda leader’s death, many wondered how the organization would be affected. A year later, with al Qaeda now under the leadership of Ayman al-Zawahiri, Gideon Rose, the editor of Foreign Affairs, […]
Warren Weinstein is a veteran aid worker who was kidnapped by armed men in Lahore almost four months ago. Ayman al-Zawahiri and the Pakistan branch of al-Qaeda have claimed responsibility for this, and created a list of demands for his release. Among them are the end of U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, as […]
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 […]