Al Qaeda

From jihadists to Syria's new rulers, HTS's evolution explained

Over 13 years, Syria's largest armed faction has evolved from IS offshoot to Al-Qaeda affiliate to local militia and, finally, the national government. Like Syria, it has completely transformed.

Abbas Sharifa 30 January 2025

1- An ISIS official announcing the capture of Tabqa air base to residents of Raqqa province, Syria, August 24, 2014. (Stringer/Reuters)

ISIS’s Leadership Crisis

It is only February, and already, the Islamic State (also known as ISIS) has had a rough year. ISIS’s supporters quickly went from cheering on a large prison break in northeast Syria to learning,…

Haroro Ingram, Craig Whiteside 25 February 2022

A Pakistani man reads a newspaper with the front page displaying news of the death of Osama bin Laden at a stall in Lahore on May 3, 2011. (Getty)

How a Courier's Phone Call Led to the Killing of Osama bin Ladin

On 2 May 2011 President Obama gave permission to the operation lead to the killing of Osama bin Laden, one of the most wanted people in American history. “Tonight I can report to the American people…

Dr Mujahed al Somaidai - London 07 May 2021

Mike Pompeo alleged that Iran has become a new "home base" for Al-Qaeda worse than Afghanistan

The Al-Qaeda-Iran Relationship

As the Trump administration winds down, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed a New York Times report that Al-Qaeda's second-in-command was killed last year in Tehran and accused Iran's government…

Al Majalla - London 15 January 2021

Al Qaeda's Franchise Reboot

Nineteen years after the terrorist attacks ofSeptember 11, 2001, doesal Qaedastill pose a significant threat toU.S.national security? Among researchers, military and intelligence officials, and…

Asfandyar Mir and Colin P. Clarke 18 September 2020

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US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman exchange a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during a ceremony at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 13 May 2025.

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US-Saudi ties are the cornerstone of Trump’s Mideast policy

14 November 2025

When Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits the White House to meet with US President Donald Trump on 18 November, there will be no shortage of issues for the two leaders to discuss

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This handout photograph released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on 10 November 2025, shows US President Donald Trump (L) shaking hands with Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House in Washington DC.

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Syria-US rapprochement sees cooperation surge

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Since Trump began lifting sanctions in May, no time has been wasted. US investment delegations have been flocking to Damascus, and security cooperation has already started.

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Is support for Israel becoming toxic at the ballot box?

11 November 2025

As Americans rethink the moral—and strategic—calculus of US support for Israel, politicians are scrambling to keep pace

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How Trump reshaped the world

03 November 2025

Al Majalla examines key developments in the US and across the globe less than a year into Trump's second presidential term

Al Majalla - London

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Israel's Olive War aims to uproot more than just trees

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The olive tree is no longer just a source of sustenance for West Bank Palestinians, but a silent witness to their profound struggle between permanence and erasure

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LATEST ISSUE

From jihadists to Syria's new rulers, HTS's evolution explained

ISIS’s Leadership Crisis

How a Courier's Phone Call Led to the Killing of Osama bin Ladin

The Al-Qaeda-Iran Relationship

Al Qaeda's Franchise Reboot

US-Saudi ties are the cornerstone of Trump’s Mideast policy

Syria-US rapprochement sees cooperation surge

Is support for Israel becoming toxic at the ballot box?

How Trump reshaped the world

Israel's Olive War aims to uproot more than just trees

OPINIONS

Saudi Arabia and the US: an unprecedented partnership

Saudi Arabia, the US, and the renewal of partnership

Syria: from darkness to light in 11 historic months

Elon Musk, Grokipedia, and the battle for truth

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