“Shit! I Think We Bit Off More Than We Can Chew”: Explaining Al Qaeda’s Decline

Via Daniel Byman for Lawfare In a previous post, I argued that the organization of Al Qaeda declined even as the movement it championed remains robust. No single factor explains Al Qaeda’s problems since the September 11th attacks, but I believe the most consequential reasons for this decline include its underestimation of the U.S.-led counterterrorism campaign and the associated loss of its haven and global infrastructure; its killing of Muslim civilians; and the lack of a strong base among

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4 thoughts on ““Shit! I Think We Bit Off More Than We Can Chew”: Explaining Al Qaeda’s Decline

  1. Well hey, maybe don’t fly planes into buildings then, huh? I hope they all get sent home in a soup can. I was nineteen when the attacks happened. To this day, it is the defining geopolitical moment of my generation.

    1. Your comment took me racing back to my own defining geopolitical moment of my generation! An awakening to World powers that may have an effect on my own little life, Bay of Pigs (Cuba) 1961 and much worse and far more terrifying, Cuban Missile Crisis 1962. I was sixteen and my group of buddies sat in my front yard and talked about a serious event that threatened our lives (so we thought) and pretty much came to realize we were most likely going to die soon. The impact so profound I still recall the faces and the words.

      – Murphy

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