During 2011, the author was asked to testify about the status of al Qaeda before Congress on several occasions and to brief members of Congress, NATO ambassadors and planners, federal judges, and senior intelligence and law enforcement officials. This paper summarizes those briefings. It focuses on the recurring questions of whether America has won the operational battle but lost the ideological contest; whether homegrown terrorism is a growing threat; whether maintaining American troops in Afghanistan is essential; whether the United States should declare on its own an end to the war on al Qaeda.

Al Qaeda in its third decade : irreversible decline or imminent victory? -- Is Al Qaeda on the ropes or still a serious threat? -- How has Bin Laden's death affected the organization? -- What is the effect of the Arab Spring? -- How much of a threat do homegrown terrorists pose? -- So why does Al Qaeda think victory is imminent? -- What will happen in Afghanistan? -- How will we know when to stop?.