The anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death last week focused attention briefly on the continued threat posed by al Qaeda Central. But what about al Qaeda's franchises elsewhere, like al Shabaab in Somalia? The viability of the threat these groups pose to the U.S. deserves more careful consideration than it has received.

Evidence from numerous studies shows that emerging markets have far more poor quality drugs than western markets. There are many reasons for this, but one reason, investigated in this paper, is the possibility that smaller, often privately-owned, pharmacies take greater risks with drug procurement than larger organizations, which are often franchises or major pharmacy chains.

The Arab Spring threw American counter-terrorism policy in Yemen into crisis. The challenge for policymakers is to develop a counter-terrorism policy that addresses Yemen’s new reality.

Join AEI's Election Watch team for a reflection on past races and a look ahead at what's to come.

Panelists discussed an AEI Critical Threats Project report, "Al Qaeda's Operating Environments: A New Approach to the War on Terror," which assesses the different environments where al Qaeda and its franchises operate and their importance to developing a comprehensive US strategy for winning the war on terror.

American policy makers have failed to implement this strategy outside of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The result has been a growing threat from the Gulf of Aden region, where two of al Qaeda’s franchises—al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Yemen and al Shabaab in Somalia—have established safe havens. (INCLUDES VIDEO)

Defeating al Qaeda in Yemen cannot be achieved solely through the removal of its top leadership. Conditions in Yemen, even before the outbreak of the Arab Spring, are favorable for al Qaeda’s operations. Ten years after 9/11, al Qaeda in Yemen is stronger and perhaps better positioned to attack the United States.

At this event, panelists discussed Al Qaeda's expansion beyond Afghanistan and Pakistan and the growing threat to the United States.