How is it run?

The command structure and operational methods of al-Qaeda are a matter of some debate. Al-Qaeda has been known to operate cells (small groups of clandestine agents) in Western cities and to have local networks across the Muslim world (in Iraq and North Africa, for example). However, the extent to which these regional representatives are controlled by the central leadership is disputed; some claim that al-Qaeda is a coherent militant organisation, while others see it as a loosely defined concept, with a few core members providing ideology and inspiration for followers around the world. Despite this uncertainty, the ‘destruction of al-Qaeda’ was a key aim of George W. Bush’s ‘War on Terror’ and the US invasion of Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks. What is left of al-Qaeda today is unclear, but its leaders are believed to be hiding in Pakistan’s tribal areas next to the Afghan border, where several other jihadi groups are based. Al-Qaeda is known to share training camps with these groups, such as the Pakistani-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, as well as fostering contacts with other militant Islamist movements such as the South-East Asian Jemaah Islamiyah.

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