great LAT article on Al Qaeda

The New Face of Al Qaeda, LAT, 9/26/04:

RABAT, Morocco – Authorities have made little progress worldwide in defeating Islamic extremists affiliated with Al Qaeda despite thwarting attacks and arresting high-profile figures, according to interviews with intelligence and law enforcement officials and outside experts.

On the contrary, officials warn that the Bush administration’s upbeat assessment of its successes is overly optimistic and masks its strategic failure to understand and combat Al Qaeda’s evolution.

Even before the Sept. 11 attacks, Al Qaeda was a loosely organized network, but core leaders exercised considerable control over its operations. Since the loss of its base in Afghanistan and many of those leaders, the organization has dispersed its operatives and reemerged as a lethal ideological movement.