Al-Qaeda

Osama bin Laden founded al-Qaeda during the latter stages of the Soviet-Afghan War with the goal of waging global jihad. In addition to directing and carrying out the September 11, 2001 attacks, the deadliest ever on American soil, al-Qaeda is responsible for terrorist atrocities across the globe. The group has established five major regional affiliates pledging their official allegiance to al-Qaeda: in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, East Africa, Syria, and the Indian subcontinent. Though some of its affiliates have pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda’s former affiliate in Iraq and current competitor, ISIS, the U.S. Pentagon and other intelligence groups have forcefully stressed that al-Qaeda remains a critical terrorist threat.

Leaders

Abu Khayr al-Masri

Second-in-command, Deputy Leader (deceased)

Qasim al-Raymi

AQAP emir (leader), deceased

Ibrahim al-Asiri

Chief bomb-maker (deceased)

Khalid Batarfi

Leader, media specialist, propagandist, military commander

Ibrahim al-Qosi

Foreign fighter, facilitator, Osama bin Laden’s close aide

Spokesman, Shura Council Member, foreign fighter

Abdelmalek Droukdel

Former AQIM emir (leader), in charge of Algeria (deceased)

Mokhtar Belmokhtar

Al-Mourabitoun emir, co-founder

AQIM leader in Libya and co-founder

Asim Umar

AQIS emir (leader) (deceased)

News and Blogs

Daily Dose

Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.

In Their Own Words:

We reiterate once again that the brigades will directly target US bases across the region in case the US enemy commits a folly and decides to strike our resistance fighters and their camps [in Iraq].

Abu Ali al-Askari, Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH) Security Official Mar. 2023
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