Embassy threat indicative of growing Al Qaeda ambitions outside of US mainland: Study

A recent study by a US defense and security consultancy has revealed that Al Qaeda has by some measures become larger since the deadly 9/11 attack but has become less cohesive as its goals have shifted from attacking the American homeland to achieving narrower goals.

According to RAND Corp. terrorism expert Seth Jones, the militant group wants to establish Islamic emirates in specific countries or regions, though they may be agnostic about a broader violent jihad, the Christian Science Monitor reports.

The recent terror threat has forced closures of 19 US embassies in Middle East along with a month-long travel alert for all Americans abroad shows how Al Qaeda's threat to the US has evolved since 9/11 and how the US response has evolved too.

The report said that the closures are indicative of the persistent threat of the terror group and perhaps also an indicator of how its aspirations have changed since the 9/11.