August 19, 2026 | Generation Jihad

25 Years Later: The state of Al Qaeda

August 19, 2026 Generation Jihad

25 Years Later: The state of Al Qaeda

Twenty-five years after 9/11, analysts still can’t agree on whether Al Qaeda is a spent force or a resurgent threat. Generation Jihad’s Bill Roggio and co-host Will Selber speak with guest Graeme Wood, staff writer at The Atlantic, and unpack his new article on the group’s uncertain legacy.

The conversation digs into Al Qaeda’s true objectives, the blurred line between its “core” and its regional affiliates, and mounting evidence of the group’s expanding footprint inside Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The three debate how to judge Al Qaeda’s 25-year campaign — and whether Syria’s new president, a former Al Qaeda commander, signals the jihadist group’s decline or its evolution in the Long War.