Muhammad al-Zawahiri

May 4, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Analysis: The Islamic State’s ideological campaign against al-Qaeda

On April 29, the Islamic State’s “province” (wilayah) in Yemen released a lengthy video that is intended to undermine al-Qaeda’s ideological legitimacy within the jihadists’ ranks. The 50-plus...

May 14, 2014 | Thomas Joscelyn

A Failure of Policy

Forty-one recently declassified State Department documents obtained by Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, have reignited the controversy over the September 11, 2012, terrorist attack...

May 12, 2014 | Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

Successes and Failures of the U.S. and NATO Intervention in Libya

Download the full written testimony here (PDF). Ch...

February 11, 2014 | Thomas Joscelyn

Al Qaeda’s Expansion in Egypt Implications for U.S. Homeland Security

Chairman King, Ranking Member Higgins, members of the committee, thank you for inviting me here today to discuss al Qaeda’s presence in Egypt. The uprisings throughou...

February 10, 2014 | Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

The Arab Spring and Al-Qaeda’s Resurgence

Chairman McKeon, Ranking Member Smith, distinguished members of the committee, it is an honor to appear before you to discuss the state of al-Qaeda, its affiliates, and associated groups. My test...

February 3, 2014 | Daveed Gartenstein-Ross |

The Arab Spring and Al-Qaeda’s Resurgence

Download the full testimony (PDF). Chairman McKeon...

November 21, 2013 | Thomas Joscelyn

Political, Economic, and Security Situation in Africa

Watch the hearing here. Chairman Kaine, Ranking Member Risch...

July 29, 2013 | Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

Rumor Busting: Benghazi, the Brotherhood, and Interpretation of Data

A couple of weeks ago, I testified at a House hearing on the terr...

July 18, 2013 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Global al Qaeda: Affiliates, Objectives, and Future Challenges

Chairman Poe, Ranking Member Sherman and members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me here today to discuss the threat posed by al Qaeda. We have been asked to “examine the nature of...

July 10, 2013 | Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

Salafi Jihadism in the North African Regional Context

Chairmen Poe and Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking Members Sherman and Deutch, distinguished members of the subcommittees, it is an honor to appear before you today to discuss the threat of jihadist terroris...

June 6, 2013 | Clifford D. May |

Al Qaeda vs. Hezbollah

Back during the Bush administration, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage famously called Hezbollah the “A Team of terrorists,” adding, “al-Qaeda is actually the B Team.&r...

May 17, 2013 | Thomas Joscelyn

CIA Warned of ‘Jihadist’ Threat to Cairo Embassy

The Obama administration’s editing of the Benghazi talking points not only obscured what really happened in Libya on September 11, 2012, it also confused the events of earlier that day in C...

May 16, 2013 | Thomas Joscelyn

Petraeus’s Objection to the Benghazi Talking Points

After nearly two days of editing, then CIA director David Petraeus was sent the revised Benghazi talking points on September 15, 2012. He was less than impressed, to put it mildly. &ldqu...

February 19, 2013 | Thomas Joscelyn The Long War Journal

US Officials Denied Access to ‘Nasr City Cell’ Suspects

The US has not been granted access to the senior members of the so-called "Nasr City Cell" who were arrested late last year, according to several American officials familiar with the case. The Na...

February 1, 2013 | Thomas Joscelyn The Long War Journal

Ansar al Sharia Egypt Calls on Muslims to Resist France in Mali

Ansar al Sharia Egypt, an extremist group headed by an al Qaeda-allied jihadist, has called on Muslims to pray...

January 31, 2013 | Thomas Joscelyn The Long War Journal

Ansar al Sharia Tunisia Honors Senior al Qaeda ‘Martyrs’

Ansar al Sharia Tunisia has honored two deceased senior al Qaeda leaders on its Facebook page this week. The first is Said al Shihri, an ex-Guantanamo detainee who cofounded al Qaeda in the Arabi...

January 28, 2013 | Thomas Joscelyn The Long War Journal

Mohammed al Zawahiri Threatens West, Condemns Mali Intervention

Within the past few days, Mohammed al Zawahiri, the younger brother of al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri, has threatened France and the West while condemning the intervention in Mali. The younger Z...

December 20, 2012 | Thomas Joscelyn

Investigating ‘Command and Control’ in Benghazi Attack

The Accountability Review Board’s investigation into the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi says much about the deteriorating security situation surrounding the U.S. consulate...

December 13, 2012 | Thomas Joscelyn The Long War Journal

Al Qaeda’s Emir Calls on Egyptian Salafi Leader to Continue Revolution

A video posted on Egyptian websites this week shows Ayman al Zawahiri calling on the hardline Salafi leader Hazem Salah Abu Ismail to relaunch the Egyptian revolution. While Zawahiri's call...

November 28, 2012 | Thomas Joscelyn The Long War Journal

Ansar al Sharia Egypt Founder ‘Honored to be an Extension of al Qaeda’

In an interview with the Cairo-based publication Al Shuruq al Jadid in late October, Ahmed Ashush, the fo...