It’s been 15 years since 9/11. How has al-Qaida changed?

Fifteen years after 9/11, confronting terrorism remains a central American priority. U.S. forces are still deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq; others carry out counterterrorism missions throughout the world. In recent years, opinions about al-Qaida’s fortunes have sharply polarized. Many analysts and politicians were quick to write the organization’s obituary after the killing of Osama bin Laden and the rise of jihadist challengers, such as the Islamic State, while others pointed to th