ABSTRACT
A particularly important part of current warnings about al-Qaeda is its ability to expand through franchises. For most of the Obama presidency, US officials were dismissive of al-Qaeda. Localisation has been a risky strategy for al-Qaeda. State identity has, over the years, become anchored in national identity, making it extremely difficult for actors who vehemently reject the legitimacy of nationalism to mount a successful challenge. After all, both al-Qaeda and the MB are confronted by the tension between transnationalism and localisation: both actors highlight a religious identity while operating within a state-based order that emphasises national identities. The Muslim Brotherhood is a global organisation with a transnational scope and a universalising mission. The United States should resist the temptation to inflate the al-Qaeda threat. It should examine the strength of the ties between al-Qaeda central and each branch, and devise policies that would deepen cleavages within the group as a whole.
