Al Qaeda is expected to shift strategy under new leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, placing a higher priority on attacking the U.S. and Western targets overseas, where plots are easier to execute than on the U.S. homeland, U.S. officials tell the Wall Street Journal.
This broader attack strategy advocated by Zawahiri better aligns the goals of Al Qaeda’s leaders in Pakistan and affiliates, particularly in Yemen, which are increasingly becoming the group’s frontline operators.
