Al Qaeda threat worse than pre-9/11 levels, terrorism expert explains

In the 24-years since a group of 19 members of the al Qaeda terrorist group boarded and hijacked four flights in a series of attacks on the U.S. that killed 2,977 people, the infamous network remains the “most dangerous terrorist group” in the world today, warned one expert.

Though terrorist groups like ISIS and Hamas have gained immense notoriety over the last several years due to their brutal tactics, Bill Roggio, expert analyst and senior editor of Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ “Long War Journal,” explained to Fox News Digital that the threat posed by al Qaeda is far more sweeping today.

“The most dangerous terrorist group 24 years after 9/11 remains al Qaeda,” Roggio said. “With the support of the Taliban, the situation there is far worse than it was pre-9/11.”

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Roggio explained that not only is al Qaeda running training camps in at least 13 of the 34 provinces in Afghanistan, its global operations have only continued to expand in the last two decades across the Middle East and Africa.

“Its global organization remains intact. It controls probably more than a third of Somalia and then, it’s so-called former affiliate – and I’m not convinced the links have been broken – now controls the government of Syria, with the Hayat Tahir Al Sham as its leader.

“President [Donald] Trump, even welcomed the takeover, the ouster of Bashar Al Assad. This was a mistake, in my estimation,” he added. “It’s a group that has proven to be clever, to be committed.”

Roggio explained that his chief concern when it comes to terrorism nearly two-and-half decades after 9/11 is the safe haven they have been granted, and the public’s sentiment towards the various groups.  

“The number one concern I have for the threat of terrorism is the rise in safe havens for these groups,” he said. “Afghanistan – al Qaeda, running training camps, the Iranians continuing to provide safe haven, countries like Iraq, where the Shia militias are permitted to operate, al-Shabab – al Qaeda branch in Somalia – has safe haven in the areas they control.” 

Police and military officials comb the scene of an al Qaeda-linked…