Who is behind Al Qaeda?

Also known as al-Qaeda, al Qaeda

Shows documented founders, leaders, board members, funders and owners.

Not who made decisions, or why.

4 links · 1 account

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A connection is not evidence of wrongdoing.

Over time

Led by Osama bin Laden (emir) Aug 1988 –
1990200020102020

On the record

Sourced links that no one presents as their own account, as recorded so far. Others may exist.

Founded by

Osama bin Laden founded 1988 Primary record 1

Led by

Osama bin Laden head of Aug 1988 – emir Primary record 1
Osama bin Laden leads Primary record 1

Each account

One account recorded. Others may exist.

According to National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States

Taliban funded Primary record 1
The Commission: “It does not appear” that any other government did so. Money also ran the other way: see the claim from Osama bin Laden to the Taliban.

Proof 1 source

The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, 9-11-commission, 22 Jul 2004. Primary record
They established what they called a base or foundation (al Qaeda) as a potential general headquarters for future jihad.
by August 1988 Bin Ladin was clearly the leader (emir) of al Qaeda.
Through Atef, KSM arranged a meeting with Bin Ladin in Tora Bora, a mountainous redoubt from the Afghan war days. At the meeting, KSM presented the al Qaeda leader with a menu of ideas for terrorist operations.
Bin Ladin, apparently at Atef ’s urging, finally decided to give KSM the green light for the 9/11 operation sometime in late 1998 or early 1999.
It does not appear that any government other than the Taliban financially supported al Qaeda before 9/11, although some governments may have contained al Qaeda sympathizers who turned a blind eye to al Qaeda’s fund-raising activities.

How this answer is built

Lines on the record come first: sourced links that no one presents as their own account, each with its strongest source. Then every account recorded here gets its own column, A to Z, none ranked above another. A column quotes only that account's own words and shows the strength of its own sources. Disputed lines are listed apart, with the reason, and lines still being verified come last. Neither is counted. Withdrawn lines are never shown.

When a list is longer than the page shows, the links the public methodology ranks strongest stay (methodology 0.3), and the rest open in the explorer.

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