ABSTRACT
The evolution of al Qaeda from an operational group of several thousand members into an ideological vanguard of the Islamic terrorist movement consisting of tens of thousands of members may be the most profound development in the international security landscape since 11 September 2001. Although al Qaeda’s operational capabilities have severely diminished since 2001, the ideology of global jihad articulated by Osama bin Laden and his group has catalyzed the proliferation of jihad groups across the globe, including numerous cells in the West. Reflecting this trend, al Qaeda itself has not been directly responsible for most of the terrorist attacks in the past four years; rather, attacks have been inspired by al Qaeda but carried out by its associated groups with origins in the Middle East, East Africa, Asia, and the Caucuses.2
