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[[Image:al_qaeda.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Osama bin Laden with Al-Qaeda members]]

[[Image:al_qaeda.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Osama bin Laden with Al-Qaeda members]]

al-Qaeda is an international Islamist [[terrorism|terrorist]] organization founded in the late 1980s to fight the [[Red Army]] of the [[Soviet Union]] in [[Afghanistan]], during the 1980-89 [[Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan]]. According to the 9/11 Commission Report, Osama bin Bin Ladin and his comrades had their own sources of support and training, and they received little or no assistance from the United States. <ref>9/11 Commission Report[http://www.gpoaccess.gov/911/pdf/sec2.pdf ''The Foundation of the New Terrorism''], pg. 56.</ref><ref>[http://usinfo.state.gov/media/Archive/2005/Jan/24-318760.html Did the USA "create" Osama bin Laden?] ''US State Department''</ref> It is currently led by [[Osama Bin Laden]] and is predominantly composed of fanatical [[Sunni]] [[Islam|Muslim]]s. Al Qaeda is responsible for the September 11, 2001 attack on the [[World Trade Center]] and [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]], the bombings of American embassies in [[Kenya]] and [[Tanzania]] in 1998, the October 2000 bombing of the [[USS Cole]], and numerous smaller attacks. The group's wing in Iraq is believed to be responsible for many of the attacks and bombings there. The 9/11 Commission Report has tied al-Qaeda to the government of [[Ba'ath Party|Ba'athist]] government of [[Saddam Hussein]],<ref>9/11 Commission Report, ''The Foundation of the New Terrorism''.</ref> specifically the alleged harboring of al-Qaeda second-in-command [[Abu Musab al-Zarqawi]]. It is unclear if Iraq was funding al-Qaeda operations prior to the [[War in Iraq|2003 invasion]]. "Al Qaeda" is roughly equivalent to "the base" ( القاعدة) in [[Arabic]].

al-Qaeda is an international Islamist [[terrorism|terrorist]] organization founded in the late 1980s to fight the [[Red Army]] of the [[Soviet Union]] in [[Afghanistan]], during the 1980-89 [[Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan]]. According to the 9/11 Commission Report, Osama bin Bin Ladin and his comrades had their own sources of support and training, and they received little or no assistance from the United States. <ref>9/11 Commission Report[http://www.gpoaccess.gov/911/pdf/sec2.pdf ''The Foundation of the New Terrorism''], pg. 56.</ref> It is currently led by [[Osama Bin Laden]] and is predominantly composed of fanatical [[Sunni]] [[Islam|Muslim]]s. Al Qaeda is responsible for the September 11, 2001 attack on the [[World Trade Center]] and [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]], the bombings of American embassies in [[Kenya]] and [[Tanzania]] in 1998, the October 2000 bombing of the [[USS Cole]], and numerous smaller attacks. The group's wing in Iraq is believed to be responsible for many of the attacks and bombings there. The 9/11 Commission Report has tied al-Qaeda to the government of [[Ba'ath Party|Ba'athist]] government of [[Saddam Hussein]],<ref>9/11 Commission Report, ''The Foundation of the New Terrorism''.</ref> specifically the alleged harboring of al-Qaeda second-in-command [[Abu Musab al-Zarqawi]] and cooperation in Saddam;'s war against the kurds.  the 9/11 Commssion Report cites Bin laden meeting with iraqi intelligence officials in Khatroum as early as 1995. It is unclear if Iraq was funding al-Qaeda operations prior to the [[War in Iraq|2003 invasion]]. "Al Qaeda" is roughly equivalent to "the base" ( القاعدة) in [[Arabic]].

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