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Al Qaeda 2.0: The rise of bin Laden’s son and his quest to remake the terrorist group
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Jun 1, 2017
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Al Qaeda 2.0: The rise of bin Laden’s son and his quest to remake the terrorist group
Al Qaeda’s influence has significantly weakened after years of global counterterrorism efforts and the death of its founding leader, Osama bin Laden.
399035 01: A videotape released by Al-Jazeera TV featuring Osama Bin Laden is broadcast in Britain December 27, 2001. The tape, estimated to have been recorded two weeks earlier, shows Bin Laden describing the World Trade Center attack as "commendable," calling it "benevolent terrorism" designed to raise the issue of Israeli attacks on Palestinians. (Photo by Getty Images)
A videotape released by Al-Jazeera TV featuring Osama Bin Laden is broadcast in Britain December 27, 2001.
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Getty Images/Getty Images
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Al Qaeda’s influence has significantly weakened after years of global counterterrorism efforts and the death of its founding leader, Osama bin Laden.

Al Qaeda’s influence has significantly weakened after years of global counterterrorism efforts and the death of its founding leader, Osama bin Laden.

In terms of reach and notoriety, the terrorist group has been outgunned by its terrorist rival, ISIS.

But intelligence and counterterrorism experts say that Al Qaeda is hoping for a reset, with bin Laden’s son now at the helm. Hamza bin Laden is the youngest of the 9/11 mastermind’s 23 children, but observers say that the twenty-something has been groomed since 2015 to take over.

Who is Hamza bin Laden? How does he differ from his father’s advocacy of jihad?

Guests:

Bruce Riedel, director of the Brookings Institution’s Intelligence Project; former counterterrorism expert at the Central Intelligence Agency and the author of many books on terrorism, including “The Search for Al Qaeda: Its Leadership, Ideology, and Future” (Brookings Institution Press, 2010)

William Braniff, executive director of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism at the University of Maryland; former instructor at West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center; he tweets

Credits
Host, AirTalk
Host, Morning Edition, AirTalk Friday, The L.A. Report A.M. Edition
Senior Producer, AirTalk with Larry Mantle
Producer, AirTalk with Larry Mantle
Producer, AirTalk with Larry Mantle
Associate Producer, AirTalk & FilmWeek
Associate Producer, AirTalk
Apprentice News Clerk, FilmWeek