Translation: "The Base", "The Foundation" or

"The Fundament" and alternatively spelledalQaida, al-Qda and sometimesal-Qa'ida.

is a global militantSunniIslamist organization
founded byOsama bin Laden,Abdullah Azzam,
and several others at some point between
August 1988 and late 1989, withoriginstraceable
to the Arab volunteers who fought against
theSoviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980.
Characteristic techniques employed by al-Qaeda
includesuicide attacksand the simultaneous
bombing of different targets.

Leaders:

Abdullah Yusuf Azam

(19881989)
a.k.a.Father of Global Jihad.
Azzam was a teacher and
mentor ofOsama bin
Ladenand persuaded bin
Laden to come to Afghanistan
and help thejihad. As the war
drew to an end, they both
establishedal-Qaeda. He was
also a co-founder ofLashkare-Taiba.
Azzam was killed by acar
bombwhile
withinPeshawar,Pakistan

 Osama
bin
Mohammed
bin
Awad
bin
Laden
(19892011)
was the founder ofalQaeda, the organization
that
claimed
responsibility
for
theSeptember
11
attackson
theUnited
States,
along
with
numerousother
masscasualty attacksagainst
civilian
and
military
targets.

 Ayman Mohammed Rabie

al-Zawahiri (2011present)
is the current leader ofal-Qaedaand
a current or former member and
senior
official
ofIslamistorganizations which have
orchestrated and carried out attacks
inNorth America,Asia,Africa, and
theMiddle East. In 2012, he called on
Muslims to kidnap Western tourists in
Muslim countries.
Since theSeptember 11 attacks,U.S.
State
Departmenthas
offered
aUS$25
million
reward
for
information leading to al-Zawahiri's
capture.He is under worldwide
sanctions by theUnited Nations
Security Council 1267 Committeeas
a member or affiliate of al-Qaeda.

Notable attacks:
Map of major attacks attributed to al-Qaeda:
1.The Pentagon, US September 11, 2001
2.World Trade Center, US September 11,
2001
3.Istanbul, Turkey November 15, 2003;
November 20, 2003
4.Aden, Yemen October 12, 2000
5.Nairobi, Kenya August 7, 1998
6.Dar es Salaam, Tanzania August 7, 1998

The attacks consisted

ofsuicide attacksused
to target symbolic
U.S.landmarks.

TheUSSColebombingwas aterrorist attackagainst the

United States Navyguided-missile destroyerUSSCole
(DDG-67)on 12 October 2000, while it was harbored and being
refueled in the Yemeni port ofAden. 17 American sailors were
killed, and 39 were injured.]This event was the deadliest attack
against a United States Naval vesselsince 1987

The1998 United States embassy

bombingswere attacks that occurred on 7 August
1998, in which over 200 people were killed in nearly
simultaneoustruck bombexplosions in two
East Africancities, one at the
United States EmbassyinDar es Salaam,Tanzania,
the other at theUnited States EmbassyinNairobi,
Kenya.