The reported death of Hamza bin Laden, the son of Osama bin Laden, removes a potentially influential figure from al Qaeda’s senior leadership but does not end the threat posed by the organization. Al Qaeda developed Hamza’s profile as a leading al Qaeda figure beginning in 2015 in an attempt to leverage his father’s legacy. However, Hamza was not likely to succeed al Qaeda Emir Ayman al Zawahiri.

 

Related analysis:

Katherine Zimmerman, “Al Qaeda’s Strengthening in the Shadows,” testimony before the House Homeland Security Committee Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, July 13, 2017, https://www.criticalthreats.org/analysis/testimony-al-qaedas-strengthening-in-the-shadows.

Colin Neafsey, “Hamza bin Laden’s Rise in al Qaeda,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute,” November 22, 2017, https://www.criticalthreats.org/analysis/hamza-bin-ladens-rise-in-al-qaeda.