Al-Qaeda allied with the Taliban, and they collaborated in the 1996–2001 Afghan Civil War. In 1996 and 1998, bin Laden declared holy war on Americans, both military and civilian. An AlQaeda representative says that claims the U.S. government was behind the attacks on Sept. The US has killed the leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in a drone strike in Afghanistan, President Joe Biden has confirmed. Ahmad al-Sharaa’s historic visit marks Syria’s entry into the anti-ISIS coalition, reshaping alliances and raising questions about the future of US policy in the Middle East. Key Points.During the closed-door WhiteHouse talks, President Trump praised Sharaa’s fortitude. “He’s a very strong leader. Unnamed “intelligence officials” have just told the Times that “Al-Qaeda’s second-highest leader,” Abu Muhammad al-Masri, was “gunned down on the streets of Tehran” in August, “by Israeli operatives at the behest of the United States.” The article reeks of dishonesty. Osama bin Laden, the founder and leader of al-Qaeda, was killed by US commandos in May 2011 (Getty Images). Al-Haq was designated as a specially designated global terrorist by the U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Asset Control following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. That designation froze all of al-Haq’s assets in the United States, according tothe affidavit.