- American, French journalist killed in Syrian bombardment of Homs (+video)
- Nuclear talks with Iran? Senators implore Obama to draw line in the sand.
- Climategate sequel? Scientist lies to get Heartland Institute documents.
- High gas prices: How big a problem for Obama?
- Obama sings the blues with Mick Jagger, B.B. King (+video)
Topic: Al Qaeda
Top galleries, list articles, quizzes
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5 ways Americans and Iranians are surprisingly similar
Despite escalating US-Iran tensions, remarkable similarities between their peoples have prompted some to suggest that the US and Iran could one day be powerful ‘natural’ allies.
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Top 4 threats against America: the good and bad news
America’s top spy chiefs and intelligence experts come together every year to share their best guesses about the biggest threats that will face the country in the year ahead. Here are the top four pieces of good and bad news to come out of the annual threat-assessment hearing in Congress Tuesday.
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Famous US Special Forces operations
Here are six of the most famous successful American special operations missions in recent memory.
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What is Nigeria's Boko Haram? 5 things to know
The Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram has generated headlines with a number of bloody attacks. Scott Baldauf breaks down the group's origins, funding, and possible ties to Al Qaeda.
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Correspondent reflections: The 10 news events that shaped 2011
In this special section, we look at the year’s biggest stories, and seven staff correspondents reflect on events in hot spots from Latin America to the Libyan front.
All Content
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Will a London conference help set Somalia on path to peace?
Somalia aid groups and experts welcome renewed international attention, but warn that a focus on either state-building or military action alone could make things worse rather than better.
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After Yemen election, life after Saleh begins
Yemen began a new era without Ali Abdullah Saleh on Wednesday after Tuesday's uncontested election ousted the leader by the 'Arab Spring' uprisings.
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As Al Qaeda moves fight to Syria, violence in Iraq drops sharply
After Al Qaeda-affiliated fighters left Iraq to join the Syrian rebellion, violence has dropped in Iraq, in some areas by as much as 50 percent in just a few months.
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Islamist attacks draw Nigeria and US military closer
Dealing with Islamist groups such as Nigeria's Boko Haram will require more than a purely military approach, although Nigeria welcomes training from the US military's Africa Command.
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A defector's tale: How a Syrian soldier turned rebel
A young defector's story highlights the weakness of the Assad regime, including military officers taking rebel bribes and sectarian divisions pitting Syrian against Syrian.
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Yemen vote ousts Saleh, but will new leader bring change? (+video)
Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, the sole candidate, won the historic Yemen vote. Many Yemenis hope his win will pave the way to a more democratic society.
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Israel's ex-spy chief sees opportunity in Syria crisis
In an interview, former Mossad chief Efraim Halevy says a collapse of the Assad regime in Syria could deal a blow to Iran's regional ambitions and nuclear program
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Romney takes on the world as he vies for US presidency
It often appears that Mitt Romney is targeting the rest of the world as fiercely as he does his rivals for the party nomination and President Obama. Could his rhetoric damage US relations abroad?
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Yemen elections: Only one choice, but is it still progress?
Yemen heads to the polls Tuesday to choose a replacement to President Ali Abdullah Saleh. President Obama has endorsed the one man on the ballot, Mr. Saleh's vice president.
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US Capitol suicide bomb plot foiled: How to catch a 'lone wolf'
The arrest of Amine El Khalifi, a Moroccan man suspected of plotting to blow himself up inside the US Capitol, shows how law enforcement has fine-tuned techniques to stop lone wolf terrorists.
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Foiled suicide bombing of US Capitol: plot is both familiar and strange
Since 9/11, a series of would-be attackers – many of them 'lone wolves' – have been thwarted by undercover agents posing as collaborators. But an attempted suicide bombing is unusual.
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Backchannels
Syria, Al Qaeda, and cognitive dissonance for fans of intervention
Want Bashar al-Assad out of power in Syria? Al Qaeda's on your team.
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FBI arrests suspect in terror plot near US Capitol
A Moroccan man living in Virginia was arrested Friday in a bomb plot that targeted the US Capitol building.
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Top US official: Al Qaeda in Iraq joining fight against Syria's Assad
Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper's comments marked the first time a top official publicly confirmed the involvement of AQI in Syria's uprising.
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Could Al Qaeda get Syria's chemical weapons?
Syria is thought to have large caches of nerve and mustard gases, plus thousands of shoulder-fired missiles – weapons that some worry could fall into the hands of Al Qaeda.
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Terrorism & Security
After UN condemns Syria abuses, Assad rains artillery down on Homs
Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad redoubled his assault on the city of Homs after a symbolic UN General Assembly vote calling on him to step down.
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Underwear bomber gets life: He never expressed doubt or remorse, judge says
Underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, sentenced to multiple life sentences, declared in federal court in Detroit: 'Mujahideen are proud to kill in the name of God.'
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What would happen if Iran had the bomb? (+video)
Even as Tehran signals an interest in nuclear talks, many experts have already envisioned what the world would look like if the country got nuclear weapons. It wouldn't be as dire as many fear, but it would unleash new uncertainties - and perhaps a regional arms race.
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US blames al-Qaida of Iraq for Syrian bombings
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said bombings against security and intelligence targets in Damascus and Aleppo bear 'all the earmarks of an al-Qaida-like attack,' leading the US intelligence community to believe the Iraqi militant branch is extending its reach into Syria.
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US to seek life sentence for underwear bomber, saying he remains a threat
The sentencing hearing for the so-called underwear bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, takes place Thursday. Prosecutors argue that he remains willing to carry out another martyrdom mission.
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Syrians feel caught in an external power struggle, less willing to confront their own
Syrians feel caught in a proxy power struggle among the US, Gulf states, China, and Russia – who all seem more concerned with their interests and less with democracy for all. This external fight is preventing Syrians from making vital decisions about their own internal challenges.
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Terrorism & Security
Bali nightclub bombings suspect stands trial
Umar Patek, accused of building the bomb used in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings, was captured in January 2011 and began his trial today in Indonesia.
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Al Qaeda's Zawahiri calls for war to oust Syria's Assad
In a video message, Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri called for Muslims to rally for a war to oust Syria's Bashar al-Assad.
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Helpers in a hostile world: the risk of aid work grows
Some 242 aid workers were killed in 2010, up from 91 a decade before. Is 'humanitarian space' shrinking, or are aid groups spreading out to more conflict zones than before?
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Creator of Revolution Muslim website, inspiration to US jihadis, pleads guilty
Jesse Curtis Morton, who ran RevolutionMuslim.com, admitted to influencing would-be American militants including 'Jihad Jane' and the Pentagon model-plane bomber.
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