Al Qaida | RAND The Question of Succession in Al-Qaida Two months after the death of al Qaida leader Aymin al-Zawahiri, experts continue to debate potential contenders for his replacement while waiting for al-Qaeda to make an announcement A dark horse contender with long ties to Osama bin Laden could upend predictions and threaten to revive one of history's most lethal terrorist groups
Is al Qaida Still a Threat? | RAND Nineteen years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, does al Qaida still pose a significant threat to U S national security? Among researchers, military and intelligence officials, and policymakers who study the group, there is little consensus An accurate assessment of al Qaida's organizational health must take into account the group's recent and dramatic resurrection
Is Ayman al-Zawahiri Really the Future of Al-Qaida? | RAND Nineteen years after 9 11, al Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri has yet to achieve the household notoriety evoked by his immediate predecessor, Osama bin Laden But even though Zawahiri has conjured less of a personality cult, al Qaida's current leader is just as dangerous to the United States as its old one
The Question of Succession in Al-Qaida | RAND Two months after the death of al Qaida leader Aymin al-Zawahiri, experts continue to debate potential contenders for his replacement while waiting for al-Qaeda to make an announcement A dark horse contender with long ties to Osama bin Laden could upend predictions and threaten to revive one of history's most lethal terrorist groups
Could ISIS and Al Qaeda, Two Giants of Jihad, Unite? | RAND It could take a change in leadership in both Al Qaeda and ISIS and perhaps some compromises on mission and strategy, but there are enough points of confluence to make a united jihadist front a realistic and frightening possibility
ISIS vs. Al Qaida: Battle of the Terrorist Brands | RAND Al Qaida, as the luxury alternative, is more focused on exclusivity, pedigree, price-setting and seeking adherents that truly understand its message For ISIS, it's a numbers game, both in focusing more on the quantity than the quality of attacks, but also in terms of reach and thus, recruitment
Al-Qaida: Terrorist Selection and Recruitment | RAND Chapter 5 of the McGraw-Hill Homeland Security Handbook details various models of al-Qaida may be using to attract new members; approaches to recruitment; characteristics of potential recruits; and nodes-centers of activity, such as mosques, universities, and charities-where al-Qaida's recruiters seek new members and where potential recruits are likely to become acquainted with the radical
The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization) | RAND ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), also known as ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), is a Sunni jihadist group with a particularly violent ideology that calls itself a caliphate and claims religious authority over all Muslims It was inspired by al Qaida but later publicly expelled from it RAND terrorism experts have analyzed the group's financing, management, and organization
Al Qaeda in Syria Can Change Its Name, but Not Its Stripes Al Qaeda in Syria, by any name, remains a dangerous and capable terrorist organization with the ability to conduct attacks in the West Those seeking to grapple with the threat the group poses should focus less on its names and more on its actions