Publication

This report is a study of 17 declassified documents captured during the Abbottabad Raid, which resulted in the death of Usama bin Ladin. The authors first describe the documents' format and the limitations imposed on assessing the state of al-Qaida today in light of these documents alone. They then argue that the relationship between what has been dubbed "al- Qaida Central" (AQC) under the leadership of Bin Ladin is not in sync on the operational level with its so-called "affiliates". Next they discuss al-Qaida’s relationship with Iran and Pakistan. Finally the report covers miscellaneous subjects raised in the documents that point to the future of al-Qaida.