--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before 9/11, al-Qaeda was an organization…" description: "\"Before 9/11, al-Qaeda was an organization of global reach.\" — Peter Bergen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/peter-bergen-1880_al-qaeda_before-9-11-al-qaeda-was-an-organization_1469146.png" --- # Before 9/11, al-Qaeda was an organization of global reach. ![“Before 9/11, al-Qaeda was an organization of global reach.” quote by Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/peter-bergen-1880_al-qaeda_before-9-11-al-qaeda-was-an-organization_1469146.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/peter-bergen-1880_al-qaeda_before-9-11-al-qaeda-was-an-organization_1469146.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/peter-bergen-1880_al-qaeda_before-9-11-al-qaeda-was-an-organization_1469146.png) > “Before 9/11, al-Qaeda was an organization of global reach.” [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Before 9/11, al‑Qaeda operated globally, but its impact expanded dramatically after the attacks. **In simple terms:** Al‑Qaeda was worldwide before 9/11. Key Takeaway Study its pre‑9/11 activities. Themes terrorism history global networks policy Mood analytical serious Type educational informative When to use this quote - academic research - policy analysis - counter‑terrorism training - media reporting Key Concepts political science security studies geopolitics Questions to Reflect On - What lessons can pre‑9/11 history teach today? - How did global reach shape its strategy? A Different Perspective Post‑9/11 focus may overlook earlier dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organization/) ## Related quotes > [If you don't understand what al Qaeda was trying to do on 9/11, if you don't have a sense of who Osama bin Laden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/if-you-don-t-understand-what-al-qaeda-was-trying-to-do-on-9-11-if-you/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Some might say that that while al Qaeda the organization may be basically dead, its ideology continues to thrive and to inspire 'lone wolves'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/some-might-say-that-that-while-al-qaeda-the-organization-may-be/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [If the Arab Spring was a large nail in the coffin of al-Qaeda's ideology, the death of bin Laden was an equally large nail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/if-the-arab-spring-was-a-large-nail-in-the-coffin-of-al-qaeda-s/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Al Qaeda is not the organization now that it was before. It is under stress organizationally. Its leadership spends more time trying to figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cofer-black/al-qaeda-is-not-the-organization-now-that-it-was-before-it-is-under/) [Cofer Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cofer-black/) > [The 9/11 attack itself played out around the world, with planning meetings in Malaysia, operatives taking flight lessons in the United States, coordination by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-9-11-attack-itself-played-out-around-the-world-with-planning/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The American incarceration of Sheikh Rahman was a hot-button issue for al Qaeda for many years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-american-incarceration-of-sheikh-rahman-was-a-hot-button-issue/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Contrary to what the Americans frequently reiterated, al-Qaeda did not have any relationship with Saddam Hussein or his regime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/contrary-to-what-the-americans-frequently-reiterated-al-qaeda-did-not/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Al-Qaeda, which means 'the base' in English, lost its base and training camps in Afghanistan, while its leaders were on the run, captured, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/al-qaeda-which-means-the-base-in-english-lost-its-base-and-training/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Bush administration officials, of course, deny that they didn't take the threat urgently enough, but there is no debating that in their public utterances,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/bush-administration-officials-of-course-deny-that-they-didn-t-take/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The special reverence that al Qaeda had for Sheikh Rahman was underlined by a two-hour propaganda videotape that the group's media division released in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-special-reverence-that-al-qaeda-had-for-sheikh-rahman-was/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [When news of the first plane's hitting the World Trade Center reached them, bin Laden's followers exploded with joy. But shrewder members of al-Qaeda…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/when-news-of-the-first-plane-s-hitting-the-world-trade-center-reached/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The terrorists who have succeeded in carrying out spectacular attacks against Western targets in the past have been college-educated, technically proficient men who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-terrorists-who-have-succeeded-in-carrying-out-spectacular-attacks/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [ISIS is even at war with its most natural ally, al Qaeda in Syria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/isis-is-even-at-war-with-its-most-natural-ally-al-qaeda-in-syria/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [At one point people in al Qaeda were actually drawing monthly paychecks when they were based in Sudan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/at-one-point-people-in-al-qaeda-were-actually-drawing-monthly/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Brightstar's global infrastructure, deep wireless experience, and strong channel relationships makes it an optimal partner as we expand the global reach of Harman Lifestyle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinesh-paliwal/brightstar-s-global-infrastructure-deep-wireless-experience-and/) [Dinesh Paliwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinesh-paliwal/) ## More by Peter Bergen > [So Pakistan is a country that I'm very fond of and have spent a lot of time, but it is a country where conspiracy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/so-pakistan-is-a-country-that-i-m-very-fond-of-and-have-spent-a-lot/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The Trump administration launched the cruise missile strikes in Syria, an act of war, without a U.N. resolution or Congressional authorization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-trump-administration-launched-the-cruise-missile-strikes-in-syria/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The deep problems that afflict the Middle East are not easy to fix, but they must be dealt with if we are not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-deep-problems-that-afflict-the-middle-east-are-not-easy-to-fix/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The dirty little secret of the intelligence world is that much of what you really need to know isn't exactly a secret anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-dirty-little-secret-of-the-intelligence-world-is-that-much-of/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Abedi appears to be one of the many thousands of Western Muslims who have embraced militant Islam, often as a way of trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/abedi-appears-to-be-one-of-the-many-thousands-of-western-muslims-who/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Trump has claimed he knows more about ISIS than America's leading generals. Clearly, this is also total nonsense; he doesn't seem to have done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/trump-has-claimed-he-knows-more-about-isis-than-america-s-leading/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [If you don't understand what al Qaeda was trying to do on 9/11, if you don't have a sense of who Osama bin Laden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/if-you-don-t-understand-what-al-qaeda-was-trying-to-do-on-9-11-if-you/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [As early as 1993, members of bin Laden's group had been planning an attack on the American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/as-early-as-1993-members-of-bin-laden-s-group-had-been-planning-an/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The reality is that Trump's focus on immigrants is to misconceive of the terrorist problem that exists in the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-reality-is-that-trump-s-focus-on-immigrants-is-to-misconceive-of/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [ISIS despises the Russian government for its support of the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, and so it's no surprise that ISIS began targeting Russia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/isis-despises-the-russian-government-for-its-support-of-the-syrian/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The Sunni militants that make up ISIS are not the underlying problem in Syria and Iraq, but rather they are a symptom of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-sunni-militants-that-make-up-isis-are-not-the-underlying-problem/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Keeping a relatively small, predominantly U.S. Special Forces presence in Afghanistan to continue to train the Afghan army past December 2016 is a wise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/keeping-a-relatively-small-predominantly-u-s-special-forces-presence/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [One of the themes of 'The Longest War,' my book, which came out before the Arab spring happened, was how al-Qaida and bin Laden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/one-of-the-themes-of-the-longest-war-my-book-which-came-out-before/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Because 9/11 was carried out by 19 foreign-born Arab hijackers, many assume that all terrorists who attack the West are foreigners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/because-9-11-was-carried-out-by-19-foreign-born-arab-hijackers-many/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [I was the only outsider to visit the Abbottabad compound where bin Laden lived before the Pakistani military demolished it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/i-was-the-only-outsider-to-visit-the-abbottabad-compound-where-bin/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) [Explore all 201 Peter Bergen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) ## More Al qaeda quotes > [There's overwhelming evidence... circumstantial and otherwise, to suggest a connection between Iraq and al Qaeda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/there-s-overwhelming-evidence-circumstantial-and-otherwise-to-suggest/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Critics have stepped up their attacks on the President for authorizing the National Security Agency to listen to international communications of known al Qaeda…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mcclellan/critics-have-stepped-up-their-attacks-on-the-president-for/) [Scott McClellan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mcclellan/) > [“I do not go to church. I don’t go to Christian church or Jew church or any other church. I don’t go to church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ian-black/i-do-not-go-to-church-i-don-t-go-to-christian-church-or-jew-church-or/) [Michael Ian Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ian-black/) > [ This war \[in Syria\] is going to support Al-Qaeda and the same people that killed Americans in the 11th of September. The second thing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/this-war-in-syria-is-going-to-support-al-qaeda-and-the-same-people/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [The people who illegally cross into the country are from countries that have very close ties to al Qaeda, whether it's Yemen or Afghanistan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perry/the-people-who-illegally-cross-into-the-country-are-from-countries/) [Rick Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perry/) > [The White House was signaling that the threat posed by Saddam Hussein was of such urgency that it had priority over the crushing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-graham/the-white-house-was-signaling-that-the-threat-posed-by-saddam-hussein/) [Bob Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-graham/) > [I was on the front lines in the Cold War, and I was on the front lines in the fight against Al Qaeda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-haspel/i-was-on-the-front-lines-in-the-cold-war-and-i-was-on-the-front-lines/) [Gina Haspel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-haspel/) > [If you don't understand what al Qaeda was trying to do on 9/11, if you don't have a sense of who Osama bin Laden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/if-you-don-t-understand-what-al-qaeda-was-trying-to-do-on-9-11-if-you/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Some have argued that the President is required to get permission from a federal court before taking action against a United States citizen who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/some-have-argued-that-the-president-is-required-to-get-permission/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [Iraq, for the first time, gives al Qaeda and its allies contiguous safe-haven territory to train and launch attacks into the Levant. First into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/iraq-for-the-first-time-gives-al-qaeda-and-its-allies-contiguous-safe/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [The idea the president of the United States was warned that Al-Qaeda was going to attack the United States and did nothing about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/the-idea-the-president-of-the-united-states-was-warned-that-al-qaeda/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [There's more evil in the charts than an Al-Qaeda suggestion box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bailey/there-s-more-evil-in-the-charts-than-an-al-qaeda-suggestion-box/) [Bill Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bailey/) > [Muslim leaders around the globe have to continue working with us to decisively and unequivocally reject the hateful ideology that groups like ISIL and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/muslim-leaders-around-the-globe-have-to-continue-working-with-us-to/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Mistreatment of al Qaeda members and their friends and hangers-on is something I number among my moral concerns. But it's number 1,000,000,001.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/mistreatment-of-al-qaeda-members-and-their-friends-and-hangers-on-is/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [(The United States) is the same as al-Qaeda, under a different color flag, calling on the name a different God to sanction and approve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremiah-wright/the-united-states-is-the-same-as-al-qaeda-under-a-different-color/) [Jeremiah Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremiah-wright/) Browse all 360 Al qaeda quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Before 9/11, al-Qaeda was an organization of global reach.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Bergen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/before-9-11-al-qaeda-was-an-organization-of-global-reach/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Al qaeda" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/before-9-11-al-qaeda-was-an-organization-of-global-reach/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/peter-bergen-1880_al-qaeda_before-9-11-al-qaeda-was-an-organization_1469146.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/peter-bergen-1880_al-qaeda_before-9-11-al-qaeda-was-an-organization_1469146.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/592/peter-bergen-1880_al-qaeda_before-9-11-al-qaeda-was-an-organization_1469146.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Before 9/11, al-Qaeda was an organization of global reach.” — Peter Bergen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Peter Bergen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Before 9/11, al-Qaeda was an organization...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/before-9-11-al-qaeda-was-an-organization-of-global-reach/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/before-9-11-al-qaeda-was-an-organization-of-global-reach/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```