Al-Qaeda now 50 times larger than during 9/11 as new intelligence suggests 25,000 fighters could be plotting attacks against West

 The group are said to have spread their operations across continents in attempts to de-centralise operations 

Al-Qaeda, the terrorist organisation behind 9/11, now has 50 times more recruits than it had at the time of the devastating Twin Tower attacks, United Nations data shows. 

In September 2001, the group had an estimated 500 terrorists; now, that number is believed to have grown to around 25,000 across the globe. This number is not said to include members of the Islamic State.

Colin Smith, co-ordinator of the UN Security Council monitoring team who publishes the annual report on the global terrorist threat, said groups such as al-Qaeda and Islamic State "have not given up".

"They have not laid down their weapons," Mr Smith explained. "They are still planning attacks against us, they are still plotting. "The threat is still there — we neglect that threat or we overlook it, frankly, at our peril." The groups now operate across several regions within the Middle East and Africa, rather than having a single central location to run operations.

Mr Smith stated that many fighters signed up to al-Qaeda or affiliates without "buying into" the global agenda, with the group exploiting regional unrest and people in poverty, luring them into joining through financial incentives.

In contrast, the 500 members in 2001 were more drawn to the group due to ideology, and therefore more wedded to its beliefs and ambitions. A shift in propaganda, the multipolarity of the groups and the way the group is adapting and evolving are the three main points the report attributes to the group's growth.

Al-Qaeda is now primarily targeting youngsters, who they see as easier to indoctrinate. Children as young as 11 are said to have been recruited. Groups have shifted focus to technology, too. An increased online presence, including videos detailing how to build explosives, shows their attempts to appeal to the younger generation. FULL ARTICLE AT: https://www.gbnews.com/news/world/al-qaeda-50-times-larger-911-new-intelligence-25000-fighters-plotting-attacks-west