al-Qaeda: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Oct. 22, 2026

Also Known As	al-Qāʿidah
Date	c. 1986 - present
Areas Of Involvement	Islam • terrorism • extremism • Who Planned the September 11 Attacks?
Related People	Osama bin Laden • Anwar al-Awlaki • Ramzi Ahmed Yousef • Ayman al-Zawahiri • Khalid Sheikh Mohammed • Abu Musab al-Zarqawi • Abū Yaḥyā al-Lībī • Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah • Mohammed Atta • Saif al-Adel

There are several branches and affiliates of al Qaeda; ISIS, or ISIL, began as one of these branches.
Many branches of al Qaeda have attempted to capture territory and establish a caliphate in the Middle East.
Al Qaeda despises Western influence and action in the Middle East, especially from the U.S.