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These measures didn’t intimidate bin Laden too greatly,
and he and his like-minded companions (e.g., see Figure24.8)
created an organization they hoped would be the centerpiece
of their effort to establish an Islamic caliphate across the entire
globe: al Qaeda, or “The Base.” Established in the mid-1980s,
al Qaeda expanded to form a junction of terror groups from
the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Operating in safe areas in
Sudan and Afghanistan, bin Laden’s base established camps
that may have trained as many as 10,000 people from coun-
tries all over the world. al Qaeda also served as a model for
and supporter ...