Al Qaeda and Associated Movements (AQAM)
In this section, the Critical Threats Project details the ideological foundations [Basics] and the region-by-region outlook [Theaters of Jihad] of al Qaeda and Associated Movements (AQAM), which refers to the al Qaeda network led by Osama bin Laden and other, potentially operationally disconnected, violent Islamist groups.
See the country pages for further information on al Qaeda affiliates such as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and al Shabaab.
IN THIS SECTION
Al Qaeda and its Affiliates in 2013
Al Qaeda’s threat to the United States did not end with Osama bin Laden.
Diversified, Not Diminished: Al Qaeda in Pakistan Since 9/11
While al Qaeda in Pakistan no longer poses the same menace it did on 9/11, it has successfully unified and internationalized regional terror groups under its banner. Ten years later, the threat emanating from Pakistan to the region, and the world, is diversified rather than diminished.
Ten Years After 9/11: Al Qaeda's Reemergence in Yemen
Defeating al Qaeda in Yemen cannot be achieved solely through the removal of its top leadership. Conditions in Yemen, even before the outbreak of the Arab Spring, are favorable for al Qaeda’s operations. Ten years after 9/11, al Qaeda in Yemen is stronger and perhaps better positioned to attack the United States.
A Still-Dangerous World
Ten years after 9/11, we remain at war against a diverse enemy network posing a threat to our homeland from Somalia to Pakistan. And yet, the regional environment today is underappreciated. It is imperative that we ground our way forward in the reality of the evolving and still dangerous environment we face.
Al Qaeda's Safe Haven in Iran
The Treasury designated six al Qaeda members as global terrorists. These operatives form a network that funnels money and personnel from the Gulf to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan via Iran and is tied to other enemy groups. Al Qaeda's safe haven in Iran is not unlike the militant sanctuary in Pakistan.
Dusseldorf al Qaeda Cell
The arrest of a militant Islamist cell in Germany on April 29 demonstrated the significance of safe havens for the al Qaeda network. The cell's leader reportedly traveled to Pakistan's tribal regions for training. Read more here...
Al Qaeda's Operating Environments: A New Approach to the War on Terror
Bin Laden Is Dead
Osama bin Laden’s killing was a great moment for America and for decent people around the world. But al Qaeda has not yet been dismantled or defeated.