Publication

Al-Qaeda is not on the verge of being “strategically defeated,” even with the killing of Osama bin Laden. Given this truth, hunting down the organization’s next leader or leaders might seem like a captivating idea but the global counterterrorist effort should concentrate not so much on the next "emir" as on the candidates for his successors, who are now in the process of establishing their credentials. Depriving them of the opportunity to enhance their stature could mean that at some point less established and unsuccessful individuals will rise to the top of the organization, thereby accelerating its downfall, as self-destructive internal debates and squabbles might put an end to al-Qaeda’s coherence, unity and a sense of purpose.