Al Qaeda's Communications Network

The recent series of arrests of suspected al Qaeda members in Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates offers insight into the command, control and communication links that bind al Qaeda. Although there are few central planners, the number of potential tactical operatives — militant cells in the field, at training camps or simply lying low and waiting for activation — is much greater. The element between the two ends of the organization is key to al Qaeda's efforts to turn its strategic planning into physical reality.