Al-Qāʿida (al-Qaeda, “The Base”) is a transnational jihadist organisation, which was founded in 1988 by Usama Bin Laden (Usāma b. Lādin, 1957–2011). It perpetrated the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington D.C. on 11 September 2001 (also referred to as 9/11).
1. Emergence in Afghanistan and formative years in Sudan (1988–96)
Al-Qāʿida was founde…