Eclipsed by Islamic State, al-Qaeda may be making a comeback in a more pragmatic, and dangerous, form. Al-Qaeda was chased from Afghanistan and dispersed by American forces, which eventually killed its leader, Osama bin Laden. In Iraq, the jihadists were nearly wiped out as the masses turned against them, for a time. And with the subsequent collapse of Syria and Iraq, al-Qaeda was eclipsed by its rebellious progeny, Islamic State (IS), which declared a caliphate in 2014 and has inspired jihadists—and earned the enmity of everyone else—ever since.
The Dangerous Resurgence of Al Qaeda
