Al-Qaeda – Founded by the late Saudi-born terrorist Osama bin Laden in the 1980s, al-Qaeda (“The Base”) is an Irhabi group and movement, which supports terrorist attacks on the West, Israel and governments in Western-allied Muslim-majority countries in pursuit of political aims based on its extremist ideology. The group carried out the attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001. Bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan in May 2011. Al-Qaeda’s current leader is the Egyptian-born Ayman al-Zawahiri. Al-Qaeda is used by different people to mean different things. When authorities speak about an “al Qaeda plot,” it should be determined whether they mean it was ordered and directed by the “core al Qaeda” or generally inspired by the anti-Western ideology of Bin Laden. Use al-Qaeda, hyphenate, with capital A at start of sentence.
Affiliated groups include:
al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, operating in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
Nusra Front, operating in Syria.
al-Qaeda in the Maghreb, operating in the Sahel region, a region along the Sahara Desert stretching across North Africa. Do not use the term ‘Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.’
Khorasan group, an al-Qaeda cell that the United States says operated in Syria to plot attacks on the U.S.
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Reuters: Use al Qaeda, no hyphen. Created by Osama bin Laden in the late 1980s, al Qaeda (“The Base”) is a militant movement that supports violent attacks on the West, Israel and governments in Muslim countries allied with the West that it believes prevent the creation of a “pure” Islamic world.
Al Qaeda is used by different people to mean different things. When authorities speak about an “al Qaeda plot,” we should try to pin down whether they mean it was ordered and directed by “core al Qaeda” or generally inspired by the anti-Western ideology of bin Laden. (Note: Reuters style is al Qaeda, AP style is al Qaida)
AP: Muslim militant group founded by Osama bin Laden that carried out the attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. Bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan in May 2011. Al-Qaida’s current leader is Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Affiliated groups include:
al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, operating in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
Nusra Front, operating in Syria.
al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, operating in the Sahel region, a region along the Sahara Desert stretching across North Africa.
Khorasan group, an al-Qaida cell that the United States says operated in Syria to plot attacks on the U.S.
