Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Al Qaeda Remains Far From Crippled And In Decline

(Click on Image to Enlarge)
Al-Qaeda continues to grow in the Middle East
In the wake of the death of Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda affiliates worldwide have acted increasingly independently in the terror group's quest to establish Islamic states through violence. These branches have seen success by infiltrating civil unrest in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, and are growing in strength, say analysts.
Source: Center on Foreign Relations, RAND Corp., Uppsala Conflict Data Program, USA TODAY research; Photos: AP, AFP, GettyImages Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY

Al-Qaeda's Spread Unchecked Since bin Laden's Death -- USA Today

The terror network 'remains far from crippled, and there is little evidence' al-Qaeda 'is on the decline,' says one analyst.

BEIRUT — The death of leader Osama bin Laden did not end the spread of al-Qaeda, say analysts. It may have even helped it.

The chaos of the Arab Spring revolutions, al-Qaeda's shift to a more bottom-up structure and a perceived pullback of U.S. influence in the Middle East are behind the spread of America's No. 1 enemy in the world, say several analysts who study the core group in Pakistan and affiliates who swear allegiance to it.

The latest and most stark example came this week in Iraq, where al-Qaeda militants seized control of government buildings and districts of Fallujah and Ramadi, cities that were liberated from jihadist control by American troops during the Iraq War.

Read more ....

My Comment: So much for the narrative that Al Qaeda is in decline.

No comments: