The Changing Face of Al-Qaida: “Outsourcing” Worldwide Terror

Last week's terror attacks in London are widely suspected to be the work of an offshoot of al-Qaida. If so, they are further evidence of the shift in the terrorist network's strategy and identity since September 11. Many experts believe that Osama bin Laden and his followers have temporarily moved away from planning large-scale, centrally coordinated attacks on America directly and towards targeting America's allies in smaller strikes carried out by loosely connected cells. This strategy makes it easier for terrorists to elude capture, and harder for governments to prevent attacks. It is designed to chip away at support for America worldwide, in order to weaken it so much that future 9/11-style attacks result in even more damage and loss of morale. In short, last Thursday's events showed that the United States and its allies are fighting an enemy which will only become harder to track down and destroy. – YaleGlobal