Editing Al-Qaeda (section)

== Activities ==
{{wide image|Main countries of activity of Al-Qaeda.png|400px|Main countries of activity of al-Qaeda}}

=== Africa ===
{{Main|Al-Qaeda involvement in Africa}}

[[File:GSPC map.png|thumb|[[Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb]] (formerly [[Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat|GSPC]]) area of operations]]

[[Al-Qaeda involvement in Africa]] has included a number of bombing attacks in North Africa, while supporting parties in civil wars in Eritrea and Somalia. From 1991 to 1996, bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders were based in Sudan.

Islamist rebels in the [[Sahara]] calling themselves [[al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb]] have stepped up their violence in recent years.<ref name="Trofimov 2009">{{Cite news|last1=Trofimov|first1=Yaroslav|author1-link=Yaroslav Trofimov|title=Islamic rebels gain strength in the Sahara|work=The Wall Street Journal|volume=254|issue=39|date=August 15, 2009|page=A9|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB125030117348933737|access-date=September 15, 2009|archive-date=May 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514132756/http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125030117348933737.html|url-status=live}}</ref> French officials say the rebels have no real links to the al-Qaeda leadership, but this has been disputed. It seems likely that bin Laden approved the group's name in late 2006, and the rebels "took on the al Qaeda franchise label", almost a year before the violence began to escalate.<ref>{{Harvnb|Riedel|2008|p=126}}.</ref>

In Mali, the [[Ansar Dine]] faction was also reported as an ally of al-Qaeda in 2013.<ref>Baba Ahmed and Jamey Keaten, Associated Press (January 12, 2013) [https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/01/11/french-action-against-mali/1828181/ Hundreds of French troops drive back Mali rebels] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009223902/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/01/11/french-action-against-mali/1828181/ |date=October 9, 2017 }}. ''USA Today''. Retrieved August 4, 2013</ref> The Ansar al Dine faction aligned themselves with the [[al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb|AQIM]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=a_Xhxv5YDjkC&pg=PA137 Ansar al Dine]. Google Books. Retrieved August 4, 2013</ref>

In 2011, al-Qaeda's North African wing condemned Libyan leader [[Muammar Gaddafi]] and declared support for the [[Anti-Gaddafi forces|Anti-Gaddafi rebels]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-libya-alqaeda-idUKTRE71N12X20110224|title=Al Qaeda backs Libyan protesters, condemns Gaddafi|work=Reuters|date=February 24, 2011|access-date=March 29, 2024|archive-date=March 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326133358/https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-libya-alqaeda-idUKTRE71N12X20110224|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8344417/Libya-al-Qaeda-backs-protesters.html|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8344417/Libya-al-Qaeda-backs-protesters.html|archive-date=January 10, 2022|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|title=Libya: al-Qaeda backs protesters|website=The Telegraph|date=February 24, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Following the [[2011 Libyan Civil War|Libyan Civil War]], the removal of Gaddafi and the ensuing period of [[post-civil war violence in Libya]], various [[Islamist]] militant groups affiliated with al-Qaeda were able to expand their operations in the region.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8860684/Libya-revolutionaries-turn-on-each-other-as-fears-grow-for-law-and-order.html|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8860684/Libya-revolutionaries-turn-on-each-other-as-fears-grow-for-law-and-order.html|archive-date=January 10, 2022|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|title=Libya: revolutionaries turn on each other as fears grow for law and order|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=October 31, 2011|access-date=November 10, 2013|location=London|first1=Nick|last1=Meo}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The [[2012 Benghazi attack]], which resulted in the death of [[US Ambassador]] [[J. Christopher Stevens]] and three other Americans, is suspected of having been carried out by various [[Jihadist]] networks, such as [[al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb]], [[Ansar al-Sharia]] and several other al-Qaeda affiliated groups.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/libyans-storm-ansar-al-shariah-compound-in-backlash-after-attack-on-us-consulate/|title=Libyans storm Ansar Al-Shariah compound in backlash after attack on US Consulate|publisher=Fox News|date=September 21, 2012|access-date=November 10, 2013|archive-date=September 26, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120926021008/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/09/21/libyans-storm-ansar-al-sharia-compound-in-backlash-attack-on-us-consulate/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/02/world/africa/us-libya-benghazi-suspects|title=Sources: 3 al Qaeda operatives took part in Benghazi attack|publisher=CNN|date=May 4, 2013|access-date=November 10, 2013|archive-date=May 13, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513205605/http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/02/world/africa/us-libya-benghazi-suspects|url-status=live}}</ref> The capture of [[Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai]], a senior al-Qaeda operative wanted by the United States for his involvement in the [[1998 United States embassy bombings]], on October 5, 2013, by [[US Navy Seals]], [[FBI]] and [[CIA]] agents illustrates the importance the US and other Western allies have placed on North Africa.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/05/world/africa/us-forces-africa-terrorist-raids/index.html|title=U.S. forces raid terror targets in Libya, Somalia|publisher=CNN|date=October 6, 2013|access-date=November 10, 2013|archive-date=November 10, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110025849/http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/05/world/africa/us-forces-africa-terrorist-raids/index.html?|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Europe ===
{{Main|Al-Qaeda activities in Europe}}

Before the 9/11 attacks and the US invasion of Afghanistan, westerners who had been recruits at al-Qaeda training camps were sought after by al-Qaeda's military wing. Language skills and knowledge of Western culture were generally found among recruits from Europe, such was the case with [[Mohamed Atta]], an Egyptian national studying in Germany at the time of his training, and other members of the [[Hamburg Cell]]. [[Osama bin Laden]] and [[Mohammed Atef]] would later designate Atta as the ringleader of the [[9/11 hijackers]]. Following the attacks, Western intelligence agencies determined that al-Qaeda cells operating in Europe had aided the hijackers with financing and communications with the central leadership based in Afghanistan.<ref name="9-11commission.gov" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/sep/30/terrorism.september113|title=Last words of a terrorist &#124; The Observer|work=The Guardian|date=September 30, 2001|access-date=November 10, 2013|archive-date=August 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130825155640/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/sep/30/terrorism.september113|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2003, Islamists carried out a series of bombings in [[Istanbul]] killing fifty-seven people and injuring seven hundred. Seventy-four people were charged by the Turkish authorities. Some had previously met bin Laden, and though they specifically declined to pledge allegiance to al-Qaeda they asked for its blessing and help.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/12/AR2007021201715_pf.html|title=al-Qaeda's Hand in Istanbul Plot|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=March 22, 2010|archive-date=October 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010145110/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/12/AR2007021201715_pf.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna3735645|title=Msn News – Bin Laden allegedly planned attack in Turkey – Stymied by tight security at U.S. bases, militants switched targets|publisher=NBC News|date=December 17, 2003|access-date=March 22, 2010|archive-date=December 6, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206130743/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3735645|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2009, three Londoners, Tanvir Hussain, Assad Sarwar and Ahmed Abdullah Ali, were convicted of [[2006 transatlantic aircraft plot|conspiring to detonate bombs disguised as soft drinks on seven airplanes bound for Canada and the US]]. The [[MI5]] investigation regarding the plot involved more than a year of surveillance work conducted by over two hundred officers.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Gardham|first1=Duncan|title=Gang is brought to justice by most complex operation since the war|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|date=September 8, 2009|page=2|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/6152185/Airline-bomb-plot-investigation-one-of-biggest-since-WW2.html|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/6152185/Airline-bomb-plot-investigation-one-of-biggest-since-WW2.html|archive-date=January 10, 2022|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|access-date=September 15, 2009}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Gardham|first1=Duncan|title=Complex operation brings gang to justice|work=The Weekly Telegraph|edition=Australian|issue=947|date=September 16, 2009|page=9}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Milmo|first1=Cahal|title=Police watched the plot unfold, then pounced|work=The Independent|location=London|date=September 8, 2009|pages=2–4|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/police-watched-the-plot-unfold-then-pounced-1783388.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090910200749/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/police-watched-the-plot-unfold-then-pounced-1783388.html|archive-date=September 10, 2009|url-access=limited|url-status=live|access-date=September 15, 2009}}</ref> British and US officials said the plot{{snd}}unlike many similar homegrown European Islamic militant plots{{snd}}was directly linked to al-Qaeda and guided by senior al-Qaeda members in Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web|agency=Associated Press|url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1251804512098&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512043550/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1251804512098&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 12, 2011|title=UK court convicts 3 of plot to blow up airliners|work=The Jerusalem Post|date=September 7, 2009|access-date=May 8, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Sandford|first1=Daniel|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8221375.stm|title=UK &#124; Airline plot: Al-Qaeda connection|publisher=BBC News|date=September 7, 2009|access-date=March 22, 2010|archive-date=March 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320035501/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8221375.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2012, Russian Intelligence indicated that al-Qaeda had given a call for "forest jihad" and has been starting massive forest fires as part of a strategy of "thousand cuts".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Elder|first1=Miriam|title=Russia accuses al-Qaida of 'forest jihad' in Europe|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/03/russia-al-qaida-forest-jihad|access-date=November 6, 2012|newspaper=The Guardian|date=October 3, 2012|location=London|archive-date=January 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107063338/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/03/russia-al-qaida-forest-jihad|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Arab world ===
{{Main|Al-Qaeda involvement in Asia|Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb|Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula|USS Cole bombing}}
[[File:INTEL-COGNITIVE-Cole.jpg|thumb|[[USS Cole bombing|USS ''Cole'']] after the October 2000 attack]]

Following [[Yemeni unification]] in 1990, Wahhabi networks began moving missionaries into the country. Although it is unlikely bin Laden or Saudi al-Qaeda were directly involved, the personal connections they made would be established over the next decade and used in the [[USS Cole bombing|USS ''Cole'' bombing]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Weir|first1=Shelagh|date=July–September 1997|title=A Clash of Fundamentalisms: Wahhabism in Yemen|journal=[[Middle East Report]]|publisher=[[Middle East Research and Information Project]]|issue=204|pages=22–26|doi=10.2307/3013139|jstor=3013139|url=http://www.merip.org/mer/mer204/weir.htm|access-date=January 19, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003091516/http://www.merip.org/mer/mer204/weir.htm|archive-date=October 3, 2008|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}; cited in {{Cite book|last1=Burke|first1=Jason|author-link=Jason Burke|title=Al-Qaeda: Casting a Shadow of Terror|pages=[https://archive.org/details/alqaedacastingsh00burk/page/128 128–29]|publisher=I.B. Tauris|year=2003|location=New York|isbn=1-85043-396-8|url=https://archive.org/details/alqaedacastingsh00burk/page/128}}</ref> Concerns grew over al-Qaeda's group in [[Yemeni al-Qaeda crackdown|Yemen]].<ref>"[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/yemen-the-next-front-line-against-al-qaeda/ Yemen: The Next Front Line Against al Qaeda] ". CBS News. October 30, 2010</ref>

In Iraq, al-Qaeda forces loosely associated with the leadership were embedded in the [[Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad]] group commanded by [[Abu Musab al-Zarqawi]]. Specializing in suicide operations, they have been a "key driver" of the [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)|Sunni insurgency]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Riedel|2008|p=100}}.</ref> Although they played a small part in the overall insurgency, between 30% and 42% of all suicide bombings which took place in the early years were claimed by Zarqawi's group.<ref>See the works cited in {{Harvnb|Riedel|2008|p=101}} {{Harvnb|Hafez|2007|pp=97–98}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Al-Shishani|first1=Murad Batal|title=Al-Zarqawi's Rise to Power: Analyzing Tactics and Targets|work=Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor|volume=3|issue=22|date=November 17, 2005}}</ref> Reports have indicated that oversights such as the failure to control access to the Qa'qaa munitions factory in [[Yusufiyah]] have allowed large quantities of munitions to fall into the hands of al-Qaida.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jan/07/iraq-weapons-factory-al-qaida-us-failure|title=How the US let al-Qaida get its hands on an Iraqi weapons factory|work=The Guardian|location=UK|access-date=January 7, 2011|first1=Dominic|last1=Streatfeild|author1-link=Dominic Streatfeild|date=January 7, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110107134826/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/07/iraq-weapons-factory-al-qaida-us-failure|archive-date=January 7, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2010, the militant group [[Islamic State of Iraq]], which is linked to al-Qaeda in Iraq, threatened to "exterminate all [[Iraqi Christians]]".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/csi-urges-obama-to-protect-iraqs-endangered-christian-community-106490518.html|title=CSI Urges Obama to Protect Iraq's Endangered Christian Community|date=November 1, 2010|agency=PR Newswire|access-date=July 6, 2014|archive-date=July 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714163040/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/csi-urges-obama-to-protect-iraqs-endangered-christian-community-106490518.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>"[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iraqi-christians-mourn-58-dead-in-church-siege/ Iraqi Christians Mourn 58 Dead in Church Siege] ". CBS News. November 1, 2010.</ref>

Al-Qaeda did not begin training [[Palestinians]] until the late 1990s.<ref name="palestinian operatives">{{Harvnb|Gunaratna|2002|p=150}}.</ref> Large groups such as [[Hamas]] and [[Palestinian Islamic Jihad]] have rejected an alliance with al-Qaeda, fearing that al-Qaeda will co-opt their cells. This may have changed recently. The Israeli security and intelligence services believe al-Qaeda has managed to infiltrate operatives from the Occupied Territories into Israel, and is waiting for an opportunity to attack.<ref name="palestinian operatives" />

{{as of|2015}}, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey are openly supporting the [[Army of Conquest]],<ref name="weekly">"[http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/12392/21/Gulf-allies-and-%E2%80%98Army-of-Conquest%E2%80%99.aspx Gulf allies and 'Army of Conquest'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919055514/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/12392/21/Gulf-allies-and-%E2%80%98Army-of-Conquest%E2%80%99.aspx |date=September 19, 2015 }}". ''[[Al-Ahram Weekly]]''. May 28, 2015.</ref><ref>"[https://news.yahoo.com/army-conquest-rebel-alliance-pressures-syria-regime-090529121.html 'Army of Conquest' rebel alliance pressures Syria regime] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304223037/http://news.yahoo.com/army-conquest-rebel-alliance-pressures-syria-regime-090529121.html |date=March 4, 2016 }}". Yahoo News. April 28, 2015.</ref> an umbrella rebel group fighting in the [[Syrian Civil War]] against the Syrian government that reportedly includes an al-Qaeda linked [[al-Nusra Front]] and another [[Salafi jihadism|Salafi]] coalition known as [[Ahrar al-Sham]].<ref name="independent">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syria-crisis-turkey-and-saudi-arabia-shock-western-countries-by-supporting-antiassad-jihadists-10242747.html|title=Turkey and Saudi Arabia alarm the West by backing Islamist extremists the Americans had bombed in Syria|first1=Kim|last1=Sengupta|newspaper=The Independent|date=May 12, 2015|access-date=August 23, 2017|archive-date=May 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513214636/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syria-crisis-turkey-and-saudi-arabia-shock-western-countries-by-supporting-antiassad-jihadists-10242747.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Kashmir ===
{{Main|Kashmir conflict}}

Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri consider India to be a part of an alleged Crusader-Zionist-Hindu conspiracy against the Islamic world.<ref>[http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2008/1130_india_terrorism_riedel.aspx Terrorism in India and the Global Jihad] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111111191820/http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2008/1130_india_terrorism_riedel.aspx |date=November 11, 2011 }}, [[Brookings Institution]], November 30, 2008</ref> According to a 2005 report by the [[Congressional Research Service]], bin Laden was involved in training militants for Jihad in Kashmir while living in Sudan in the early 1990s. By 2001, Kashmiri militant group [[Harkat-ul-Mujahideen]] had become a part of the al-Qaeda coalition.<ref>[https://fas.org/irp/crs/RS22049.pdf Al Qaeda: Profile and Threat Assessment] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508044340/http://fas.org/irp/crs/RS22049.pdf |date=May 8, 2015 }}, [[Congressional Research Service]], February 10, 2005</ref> According to the [[United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]] (UNHCR), al-Qaeda was thought to have established bases in [[Pakistan administered Kashmir]] (in [[Azad Kashmir]], and to some extent in [[Gilgit–Baltistan]]) during the 1999 [[Kargil War]] and continued to operate there with tacit approval of Pakistan's Intelligence services.<ref>{{cite web|author=United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees|url=http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/topic,463af2212,469f2dcf2,487ca21a2a,0.html|title=Freedom in the World 2008 – Kashmir Pakistan|publisher=United Nations High Commission for Refugees|date=July 2, 2008|access-date=May 8, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512172350/http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/topic%2C463af2212%2C469f2dcf2%2C487ca21a2a%2C0.html|archive-date=May 12, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

Many of the militants active in Kashmir were trained in the same [[madrasa]]hs as [[Taliban]] and al-Qaeda. [[Fazlur Rehman Khalil]] of Kashmiri militant group [[Harkat-ul-Mujahideen]] was a signatory of al-Qaeda's 1998 declaration of [[Jihad]] against America and its allies.<ref name=CFRKashmir>[http://www.cfr.org/publication/9135/ Kashmir Militant Extremists] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070214103922/http://www.cfr.org/publication/9135/ |date=February 14, 2007 }}, [[Council on Foreign Relations]], July 9, 2009</ref> In a 'Letter to American People' (2002), bin Laden wrote that one of the reasons he was fighting America was because of its support to India on the Kashmir issue.<ref name=Letter2002 /> In November 2001, [[Kathmandu]] airport went on high alert after threats that bin Laden planned to hijack a plane and crash it into a target in New Delhi.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/2001/11/10/int3.htm|title=Osama men plan to target Delhi: Kathmandu receives threat|work=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]|date=November 10, 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020418160409/http://www.dawn.com/2001/11/10/int3.htm|archive-date=April 18, 2002}}</ref> In 2002, US Secretary of Defense [[Donald Rumsfeld]], on a trip to Delhi, suggested that al-Qaeda was active in Kashmir though he did not have any evidence.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/2043800.stm Analysis: Is al-Qaeda in Kashmir?], [[BBC]], June 13, 2002</ref><ref name=SMH>[https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/06/13/1023864326179.html Rumsfeld offers US technology to guard Kashmir border], [[The Sydney Morning Herald]], June 14, 2002</ref> Rumsfeld proposed hi-tech ground sensors along the [[Line of Control]] to prevent militants from infiltrating into Indian-administered Kashmir.<ref name=SMH />
An investigation in 2002 found evidence that al-Qaeda and its affiliates were prospering in Pakistan-administered Kashmir with tacit approval of Pakistan's [[Inter-Services Intelligence]].<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0702/p01s02-wosc.html Al Qaeda thriving in Pakistani Kashmir], [[The Christian Science Monitor]], July 2, 2002</ref> In 2002, a special team of [[Special Air Service]] and [[Delta Force]] was sent into [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Indian-administered Kashmir]] to hunt for bin Laden after receiving reports that he was being sheltered by Kashmiri militant group [[Harkat-ul-Mujahideen]], which had been responsible for [[1995 Kidnapping of western tourists in Kashmir|kidnapping western tourists in Kashmir in 1995]].<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/1385795/SAS-joins-Kashmir-hunt-for-bin-Laden.html SAS joins Kashmir hunt for bin Laden], [[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]], February 23, 2002</ref> Britain's highest-ranking al-Qaeda operative [[Rangzieb Ahmed]] had previously fought in Kashmir with the group [[Harkat-ul-Mujahideen]] and spent time in Indian prison after being captured in Kashmir.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3832366/Al-Qaeda-terror-trial-Rangzieb-Ahmed-was-highest-ranking-al-Qaeda-operative-in-Britain.html Al-Qaeda terror trial: Rangzieb Ahmed was highest ranking al-Qaeda operative in Britain], ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''. December 18, 2008</ref>

US officials believe al-Qaeda was helping organize attacks in Kashmir in order to provoke conflict between India and Pakistan.<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/06/12/kashmir.qaeda/ Bin Laden's finger on Kashmir trigger?], [[CNN]], June 12, 2002</ref> Their strategy was to force Pakistan to move its troops to the border with India, thereby relieving pressure on al-Qaeda elements hiding in northwestern Pakistan.<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2002/05/29/taliban-kashmir.htm Taliban, al-Qaeda linked to Kashmir], ''[[USA Today]]'', May 29, 2002</ref> In 2006 al-Qaeda claimed they had established a wing in Kashmir.<ref name="CFRKashmir" /><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/13/world/asia/13iht-india.2194572.html Al Qaeda claim of Kashmir link worries India], ''[[The New York Times]]'', 2006-07-13</ref> However Indian Army General [[H. S. Panag]] argued that the army had ruled out the presence of al-Qaeda in Indian-administered [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]]. Panag also said al-Qaeda had strong ties with Kashmiri militant groups [[Lashkar-e-Taiba]] and [[Jaish-e-Mohammed]] based in Pakistan.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070823034704/http://www.hindu.com/2007/06/18/stories/2007061801191400.htm No Al Qaeda presence in Kashmir: Army], ''[[The Hindu]]'', 2007-06-18</ref> It has been noted that [[Waziristan]] has become a battlefield for Kashmiri militants fighting [[NATO]] in support of al-Qaeda and Taliban.<ref>[http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=199076 Ilyas Kashmiri had planned to attack COAS]{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''[[The News International]]'', September 18, 2009 {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>[http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=148529 Waziristan new battlefield for Kashmiri militants] {{dead link|date=November 2017}}{{cbignore}}, [[The News International]], November 24, 2008</ref><ref>[http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kashmiri-militants-move-to-waziristan-open/390569/ Kashmiri militants move to Waziristan, open training camps] [[The Indian Express]], November 26, 2008</ref> [[Dhiren Barot]], who wrote the ''Army of Madinah in Kashmir''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nefafoundation.org/miscellaneous/Barot/ArmyMadinahinKashmir.pdf|title=Army of Madinah in Kashmir|website=nefafoundation.org|publisher=[[Nine Eleven Finding Answers Foundation]]|access-date=June 6, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503125705/http://www.nefafoundation.org/miscellaneous/Barot/ArmyMadinahinKashmir.pdf|archive-date=May 3, 2012}}</ref> and was an al-Qaeda operative convicted for involvement in the [[2004 financial buildings plot]], had received training in weapons and explosives at a militant training camp in Kashmir.<ref>[https://archive.today/20081204081859/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article628497.ece How radical Islam turned a schoolboy into a terrorist], ''[[The Times]]'', November 7, 2006</ref>

<!--left off here-->
[[Maulana Masood Azhar]], the founder of Kashmiri group [[Jaish-e-Mohammed]], is believed to have met bin Laden several times and received funding from him.<ref name=CFRKashmir /> In 2002, [[Jaish-e-Mohammed]] organized the kidnapping and murder of [[Daniel Pearl]] in an operation run in conjunction with al-Qaeda and funded by bin Laden.<ref>[https://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200410/bergen The Long Hunt for Osama], ''[[The Atlantic]]'', October 2004</ref> According to American [[counter-terrorism]] expert [[Bruce Riedel]], al-Qaeda and Taliban were closely involved in the 1999 hijacking of [[Indian Airlines Flight 814]] to [[Kandahar]] which led to the release of [[Maulana Masood Azhar]] and [[Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh]] from an Indian prison. This hijacking, Riedel said, was rightly described by then Indian Foreign Minister [[Jaswant Singh]] as a 'dress rehearsal' for September 11 attacks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2007/05terrorism_riedel.aspx|title=Al Qaeda Strikes Back|first1=Bruce|last1=Riedel|work=The Brookings Institution|access-date=April 12, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605132922/http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2007/05terrorism_riedel.aspx|archive-date=June 5, 2011}}</ref> Bin Laden personally welcomed Azhar and threw a lavish party in his honor after his release.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100411010821/http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/18/stories/2006091814740100.htm Al-Qaeda involved in Indian plane hijack plot], ''[[The Hindu]]'', September 18, 2006</ref><ref>[http://www.indianexpress.com/news/osama-threw-lavish-party-for-azhar-after-hi/12921/ Osama threw lavish party for Azhar after hijack], ''[[The Indian Express]]'', September 18, 2006</ref> Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who had been in prison for his role in the [[1994 kidnappings of Western tourists in India]], went on to murder [[Daniel Pearl]] and was sentenced to death in Pakistan. Al-Qaeda operative [[Rashid Rauf]], who was one of the accused in [[2006 transatlantic aircraft plot]], was related to Maulana Masood Azhar by marriage.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/3500661/Rashid-Rauf-profile-of-a-terror-mastermind.html Rashid Rauf: profile of a terror mastermind], ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', November 22, 2008</ref>

[[Lashkar-e-Taiba]], a Kashmiri militant group which is thought to be behind [[2008 Mumbai attacks]], is also known to have strong ties to senior al-Qaeda leaders living in Pakistan.<ref>LeT, which is based at Muridke, near Lahore in Pakistan, has networks throughout India and its leadership has close links with core al-Qaeda figures living in Pakistan [https://web.archive.org/web/20100529171012/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5248563.ece Focus on Westerners suggests al-Qaeda was pulling strings], ''[[The Times]]'', November 28, 2008</ref> In late 2002, top al-Qaeda operative [[Abu Zubaydah]] was arrested while being sheltered by [[Lashkar-e-Taiba]] in a safe house in [[Faisalabad]].<ref name=WSJ20081204>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122834970727777709 Lashkar-e-Taiba Served as Gateway for Western Converts Turning to Jihad] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708220351/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122834970727777709 |date=July 8, 2017 }}, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', December 4, 2008</ref> The FBI believes al-Qaeda and Lashkar have been 'intertwined' for a long time while the CIA has said that al-Qaeda funds Lashkar-e-Taiba.<ref name=WSJ20081204 /> [[Jean-Louis Bruguière]] told Reuters in 2009 that "Lashkar-e-Taiba is no longer a Pakistani movement with only a Kashmir political or military agenda. Lashkar-e-Taiba is a member of al-Qaeda."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/03-lashkar-e-taiba-threat-revived-after-chicago-arrest-ss-09|title=Lashkar-e-Taiba threat revived after Chicago arrest|work=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]|date=November 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091123124223/http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/03-lashkar-e-taiba-threat-revived-after-chicago-arrest-ss-09|archive-date=November 23, 2009}}</ref><ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLC383495 Interview – French magistrate details Lashkar's global role], [[Reuters]], November 13, 2009</ref>

In a video released in 2008, American-born senior al-Qaeda operative [[Adam Yahiye Gadahn]] said that "victory in Kashmir has been delayed for years; it is the liberation of the jihad there from this interference which, Allah willing, will be the first step towards victory over the Hindu occupiers of that Islam land."<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/10/04/gadahn.video/index.html 'Azzam the American' releases video focusing on Pakistan], [[CNN]], October 4, 2008</ref>

In September 2009, a US [[Drone attacks in Pakistan|drone strike]] reportedly killed [[Ilyas Kashmiri]] who was the chief of [[Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami]], a Kashmiri militant group associated with al-Qaeda.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/12-us+drones+killed+two+terrorist+leaders+in+pak--bi-10|title=US drones killed two terrorist leaders in Pak|work=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]|date=September 17, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090923225021/http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/12-us%2Bdrones%2Bkilled%2Btwo%2Bterrorist%2Bleaders%2Bin%2Bpak--bi-10|archive-date=September 23, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> Kashmiri was described by [[Bruce Riedel]] as a 'prominent' al-Qaeda member<ref>[http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2009/1215_terrorism_riedel.aspx Al Qaeda's American Mole] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924002003/http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2009/1215_terrorism_riedel.aspx |date=September 24, 2011 }}, [[Brookings Institution]], December 15, 2009</ref> while others have described him as head of military operations for al-Qaeda.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20091019084848/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009%5C10%5C15%5Cstory_15-10-2009_pg1_11 Ilyas Kashmiri alive, lays out future terror strategy], ''[[Daily Times (Pakistan)|Daily Times]]'', October 15, 2009</ref><ref>[http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-102709-rana-headley,0,5879769.htmlpage United States of America vs Tahawwur Hussain Rana], ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107012334/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-102709-rana-headley%2C0%2C5879769.htmlpage |date=January 7, 2014 }}</ref> Kashmiri was also charged by the US in a plot against [[Jyllands-Posten]], the Danish newspaper which was at the center of [[Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/04-ilyas-kashmiri-danish-plot-qs-04|title=US charges Ilyas Kashmiri in Danish newspaper plot|work=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]|date=January 15, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100118131229/http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/04-ilyas-kashmiri-danish-plot-qs-04|archive-date=January 18, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> US officials also believe that Kashmiri was involved in the [[Camp Chapman attack]] against the CIA.<ref>[http://wayback.vefsafn.is/wayback/20100109051225/http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id%3D217152 US seeks Harkat chief for Khost CIA attack]{{cbignore}}, ''[[The News International]]'', January 6, 2010</ref> In January 2010, Indian authorities notified Britain of an al-Qaeda plot to hijack an Indian airlines or Air India plane and crash it into a British city. This information was uncovered from interrogation of Amjad Khwaja, an operative of [[Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami]], who had been arrested in India.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100529171046/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6999959.ece Indian hijack plot caused new UK terror alert], ''[[The Times]]'', January 24, 2010</ref>

In January 2010, US Defense secretary [[Robert Gates]], while on a visit to Pakistan, said that al-Qaeda was seeking to destabilize the region and planning to provoke a nuclear war between India and Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/03-al-qaeda-could-provoke-new-india-pakistan-war-gates-ss-02|title=Al Qaeda could provoke new India-Pakistan war: Gates|work=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]|date=January 20, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100123140217/http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/03-al-qaeda-could-provoke-new-india-pakistan-war-gates-ss-02|archive-date=January 23, 2010}}</ref>

=== Internet ===
Al-Qaeda and its successors have migrated online to escape detection in an atmosphere of increased international vigilance. The group's use of the Internet has grown more sophisticated, with online activities that include financing, recruitment, networking, mobilization, publicity, and information dissemination, gathering and sharing.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Timothy|last1=Thomas|url=http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/Parameters/03spring/thomas.pdf|title=Al Qaeda and the Internet: The Danger of Cyberplanning|date=February 14, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030326120423/http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/parameters/03spring/thomas.pdf|archive-date=March 26, 2003}}</ref>

[[Abu Ayyub al-Masri]]'s al-Qaeda movement in Iraq regularly releases short videos glorifying the activity of jihadist suicide bombers. In addition, both before and after the death of [[Abu Musab al-Zarqawi]] (the former leader of [[al-Qaeda in Iraq]]), the umbrella organization to which al-Qaeda in Iraq belongs, the [[Mujahideen Shura Council (Iraq)|Mujahideen Shura Council]], has a regular [[web presence|presence on the Web]].

The range of multimedia content includes guerrilla training clips, stills of victims about to be murdered, testimonials of suicide bombers, and videos that show participation in jihad through stylized portraits of mosques and musical scores. A website associated with al-Qaeda posted a video of captured American entrepreneur [[Nick Berg]] being decapitated in Iraq. Other decapitation videos and pictures, including those of [[Paul Johnson (hostage)|Paul Johnson]], [[Kim Sun-il]] (posted on websites),<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 24, 2004|title=U.S.-Based Al Qaeda Websites Operate Freely; Shocking Pix! – Jeremy Reynalds – MensNewsDaily.com™|url=http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/r/reynalds/04/reynalds072204.htm|access-date=May 22, 2024|archive-date=July 24, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040724075824/http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/r/reynalds/04/reynalds072204.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[Daniel Pearl]] obtained by investigators, have taken place.<ref>{{Cite web|title= Major Business News|url=https://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/pearl-022102.htm|access-date=May 22, 2024|website=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref>

In December 2004 an audio message claiming to be from bin Laden was posted directly to a website, rather than sending a copy to [[Al Jazeera Media Network|al Jazeera]] as he had done in the past. Al-Qaeda turned to the Internet for release of its videos in order to be certain they would be available unedited, rather than risk the possibility of al Jazeera editing out anything critical of the [[Saudi royal family]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373884|title=Bin Laden Identifies Saudi Arabia as the Enemy of Mujahideen Unity|author=Scheuer, Michael|date=January 2008|work=Terrorism Focus|publisher=Jamestown Foundation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070625152714/http://jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373884|archive-date=June 25, 2007}}</ref>

The US government charged a British information technology specialist, [[Babar Ahmad]], with terrorist offences related to his operating a network of English-language al-Qaeda websites, such as Azzam.com. He was convicted and sentenced to {{frac|12|1|2}} years in prison.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Whitlock|first1=Craig|author-link=Craig Whitlock|title=Briton Used Internet As His Bully Pulpit|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 8, 2005|page=A1|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/07/AR2005080700890.html|access-date=September 4, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Babar Ahmad Indicted on Terrorism Charges|publisher=United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut|date=October 6, 2004|url=http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/ct/Press2004/20041006.html|access-date=May 29, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060526115318/http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/ct/Press2004/20041006.html|archive-date=May 26, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28335976|title=British cyber-jihadist Babar Ahmad jailed in US|publisher=BBC News|access-date=July 6, 2015}}</ref>

==== Online communications ====
In 2007, al-Qaeda released ''[[Mujahedeen Secrets]]'', encryption software used for online and cellular communications. A later version, ''[[Mujahideen Secrets 2]]'', was released in 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nytimes.com/2013/09/30/us/qaeda-plot-leak-has-undermined-us-intelligence.html|work=The New York Times|first1=Eric|last1=Schmitt|first2=Michael S.|last2=Schmidt|title=Qaeda Plot Leak Has Undermined U.S. Intelligence|date=September 29, 2013}}</ref>

=== Aviation network ===
Al-Qaeda is believed to be operating a clandestine aviation network including "several [[Boeing 727]] aircraft", [[turboprops]] and [[executive jet]]s, according to a 2010 [[Reuters]] story. Based on a US [[Department of Homeland Security]] report, the story said al-Qaeda is possibly using aircraft to transport drugs and weapons from South America to various unstable countries in West Africa. A Boeing 727 can carry up to ten tons of cargo. The drugs eventually are smuggled to Europe for distribution and sale, and the weapons are used in conflicts in Africa and possibly elsewhere. Gunmen with links to al-Qaeda have been increasingly [[kidnapping]] Europeans for ransom. The profits from the drug and weapon sales, and kidnappings can, in turn, fund more militant activities.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gaynor|first1=Tim|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60C3E820100113?type=politicsNews|title=Al Qaeda linked to rogue aviation network|work=Reuters|date=January 13, 2010|access-date=May 8, 2011}}</ref>

=== Involvement in military conflicts ===
{{Multiple issues|section=yes|
{{Original research section|date=August 2013}}
{{More citations needed section|date=April 2021}}
}}
The following is a list of military conflicts in which al-Qaeda and its direct affiliates have taken part militarily.
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! scope="col" | Start of conflict
! scope="col" | End of conflict
! scope="col" | Conflict
! scope="col" | Continent
! scope="col" | Location
! scope="col" | Branches involved
|-
! scope="row" align=center|1991
|align=center|ongoing
|[[Somali Civil War]]
|Africa
|Somalia
|[[Al-Shabaab (militant group)|Al-Shabaab]]
|-
! scope="row" align=center|1992
|align=center|1996
|[[Civil war in Afghanistan (1992–96)|Civil war in Afghanistan (1992–1996)]]
|Asia
|[[Islamic State of Afghanistan]]
|Al-Qaeda Central
|-
! scope="row" align=center|1992
|align=center|ongoing
|[[Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen]]
|Asia
|Yemen
|[[Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula]]
|-
! scope="row" align=center|1996
|align=center|2001
|[[Civil war in Afghanistan (1996–2001)]]
|Asia
|[[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]]
|Al-Qaeda Central
|-
! scope="row" align=center|2001
|align=center|2021
|[[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)]]
|Asia
|Afghanistan
|Al-Qaeda Central
|-
! scope="row" align=center|2002
|align=center|ongoing
|[[Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present)]]
|Africa
|Algeria<br />Chad<br />Mali<br />Mauritania<br />Morocco<br />Niger<br />Tunisia
|[[Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb]]
|-
! scope="row" align=center|2003
|align=center|2011
|[[Iraq War]]
|Asia
|Iraq
|[[Al-Qaeda in Iraq]]
[[Islamic State of Iraq]]
|-
! scope="row" align=center|2004
|align=center|ongoing
|[[War in North-West Pakistan]]
|Asia
|Pakistan
|Al-Qaeda Central
|-
! scope="row" align=center|2009
|align=center|2017
|[[Insurgency in the North Caucasus]]
|Asia
|Russia
|[[Caucasus Emirate]]
|-
! scope="row" align=center|2011
|align=center|ongoing
|[[Syrian Civil War]]
|Asia
|Syria
|[[al-Nusra Front]]
|-
! scope="row" align=center|2015
|align=center|ongoing
|[[Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen]]
|Asia
|Yemen
|[[Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula]]<ref name="al-Qaeda">{{cite news|title=Report: Saudi-UAE coalition 'cut deals' with al-Qaeda in Yemen|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/08/report-saudi-uae-coalition-cut-deals-al-qaeda-yemen-180806074659521.html|publisher=Al Jazeera|date=August 6, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=US allies, Al Qaeda battle rebels in Yemen|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-allies-al-qaeda-battle-rebels-in-yemen/|publisher=Fox News|date=August 7, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Allies cut deals with al Qaeda in Yemen to serve larger fight with Iran|url=https://www.sfgate.com/world/article/Allies-cut-deals-with-al-Qaeda-in-Yemen-to-serve-13135822.php|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=August 6, 2018}}</ref>
|}