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The Essential: The Inquiry: What Happened to Al-Qaeda?

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What Happened To Al-Qaeda?

06/04/2016 GMT

The Inquiry: What Happened to Al-Qaeda?

BBC World Service - The Essential, The Inquiry: What Happened to Al-Qaeda?

Katherine Zimmerman explains how and why the movement still poses a threat

In recent years al-Qaeda has been eclipsed by the so-called Islamic State. But we are in danger of underestimating the threat from al-Qaeda, according to analyst Katherine Zimmerman. In this excerpt from The Inquiry, she explains that although the central core is depleted, al-Qaeda is now made up of smaller groups spread through different countries around the world. These affiliated groups still share the same goals, she says, and pose a durable threat.

(Photo: A fighter is seen standing in front of an image of Osama bin Laden, the late head of al-Qaeda, in the town of Rada. Credit: Getty Images)

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