Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and the State of Global Jihadist Leadership

Over the last few years, intense counterterrorism pressure has delivered substantial leadership losses to the Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and their global networks of affiliates. As groups have grappled with leadership succession and maintaining internal morale and cohesion, they have nonetheless continued to prosecute devastating campaigns of violence in multiple theaters. Even in an era of shifting priorities, the threat posed by the global jihadist movement remains. Which groups and leaders are best poised to lead that movement and threaten national and international security remains a debated issue. To discuss these dynamics and more, The Program on Extremism at The George Washington University and The National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education (NCITE) Center, a DHS Center of Excellence, jointly hosted a discussion with top experts, former practitioners, and internationally-renowned scholars.