Editing Al-Qaeda (section)

=== 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>