Al Qaeda
The World’s Most Hunted Terror Group Remains a Global Threat
Profile of a Dangerous Faction
Who: Al Qaeda (Arabic for “The Base”), an Islamic extremist organization, is comprised of small, autonomous cells guided by founder Osama bin Laden. Its size is hard to define, but estimates range from several hundred to several thousand total members.
What: Al Qaeda is dedicated to ridding Muslim countries of Western influence and installing fundamentalist Islamic regimes. It has orchestrated some of the most notorious terror attacks in recent history.
Where: With cells in an estimated 100 countries, Al Qaeda’s central stronghold in Pakistan has come under threat, forcing members to disperse and seek new refuge in countries like Yemen and Somalia.
