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Source: http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2012/10/11/al-qaedas-resurgence/
Al-Qaeda's Resurgence
(Commentary) Max Boot - Much attention has been focused in recent days on the emergence of al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorists as a serious threat in Libya. There is also growing evidence of al-Qaeda's reemergence in Iraq. The Associated Press reports that "the insurgent group has more than doubled in numbers from a year ago - from about 1,000 to 2,500 fighters. And it is carrying out an average of 140 attacks each week across Iraq, up from 75 attacks each week earlier this year, according to Pentagon data." There are said to be as many as ten "Al-Qaeda in Iraq" training sites in the western deserts of Iraq. Other al-Qaeda-associated organizations are gaining strength in Mali and Yemen. They are also making fresh inroads in Syria. It is true that "al-Qaeda central" - the organization headquartered in Pakistan and headed by Ayman al-Zawahiri - does appear to be on its heels; certainly it is less of a threat than it was in the days when Osama bin Laden was alive. But al-Qaeda has managed to spread its tentacles to other corners of the greater Middle East.