The main points of this very detailed article are:
- Al-Qaeda has proven itself to be extraordinarily adept at succession planning. The core leadership had benefited from a "deep bench of lower-ranking personnel capable of stepping up to assume leadership responsibilities." Many are veteran jihadists.
- Al Qaeda “Central” has grown stronger, rebuilding the organizational framework that was badly damaged after the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan
- Today, al-Qaeda operates much the way it did before 2001. The network is governed by a shura, or leadership council, and has 200 core-group leadership member
- Operatives are organized into cells with separate missions
- Counterterrorism officials have been slow to grasp the resurrection of al-Qaeda Central
- Home-grown cells of militants, operating independently of bin Laden, have increasingly come under central control
- Al-Qaeda’s Al-Sahab media arm has a prolific output. It has produced over 60 videos this year, most including subtitles in several languages and sometimes 3-D animation. It posts videos directly on the Internet, relying on an anonymous global network of webmasters to shield their electronic tracks
For the full five-page report, click on:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/08/AR2007090801845.html
The main points of this very detailed article are:
