25 years after 9/11, al Qaeda remains a threat – even as Washington looks away

AI Summary

Twenty-five years after the 9/11 attacks, al Qaeda remains a threat, though its branches focus on regional insurgencies rather than global jihad. US critics argue that Washington has neglected the ongoing destabilizing impact of al Qaeda across regions like the Sahel and Afghanistan.

A quarter of a century after the deadliest terrorist attacks in US history, al Qaeda’s various branches have moved away from the global jihad advocated by Osama bin Laden, focusing instead on regional insurgencies. Their actions continue to destabilise swathes of the world, from the Sahel to Afghanistan, neglected by a US administration that critics say has unlearned the lessons of 9/11.