Al-Qaeda's Afghan Strategy
There are divergent views on the current status of Al-Qaeda's senior leadership (AQSL), with questions over whether it retains the ability to control the jihadist movement, guide its strategic, ideological and operational direction, as well as co-ordinate and execute external attacks, or whether the movement has been fundamentally weakened by a process of decentralisation since 2001 and continued targeting of its leadership by US drone strikes in the tribal areas of Pakistan. Meanwhile, a second-tier leadership has emerged in Al-Qaeda’s propaganda in recent years that has made it less Egyptian dominated and more capable of surviving the demise of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri.
While AQSL is clearly well embedded with Pakistani Taliban groups, its critical relationship with the Afghan Taliban remains more obscure and complex. Mullah Omar's Taliban is hinting that it is prepared to drop its foreign allies, a move that would cripple Al-Qaeda's credibility, but the signals may be a smokescreen intended to influence the current debate on US/NATO strategy in Afghanistan.
This IHS Jane's online seminar will address some of the key questions surrounding Al-Qaeda and its relationship with the Taliban and will conclude with a comprehensive question and answer session during which you will be able to explore and discuss the topic with Jane's analysts in greater detail.
| Participate in this online seminar for just $299 or £199 (+ 15% VAT for UK customers) including archive access to the full presentation and simultaneous audio recording. |