The drone war in northwest Pakistan has brought attention to the attenuated al-Qaeda core that moved from Afghanistan in late 2001. But two events in December -- a failed Christmas Day bombing and an attack on CIA operatives in Afghanistan -- have led analysts to re-assess al-Qaeda's perceived decline. Worldfocus takes a look at the organization's evolution.

Worldfocus blogger S. Azmat Hassan writes how mankind has engaged in violent extremism since Biblical times. Terrorism is propaganda by deed, since terrorism is theater. So, Hassan argues, al-Qaeda succeeds every time it plants fear and uncertainty in our hearts and minds.

Today, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said there were global implications of al-Qaeda's efforts to use Yemen as a base for terrorist attacks far beyond the Middle East. This warning came as Yemeni officials said security forces killed two al-Qaeda fighters in a gun battle. Daljit Dhaliwal interviews Juan Carlos Zarate, and Omar Al Saleh reports for Al Jazeera English.

Worldfocus multimedia producer Ben Piven writes about the U.S. war in Pashtunistan, a misunderstood place not found on any world map. The knee-jerk American reaction after September 11th was to strike at the Taliban-ruled nation that harbored a huge al-Qaeda contingent: Afghanistan. But the U.S. has widened its campaign to the region of Pashtunistan.

Worldfocus blogger S. Azmat Hassan argues that U.S. drone attacks in Pakistan will not succeed in helping the Pakistani government take on the Taliban. Hassan outlines the different Taliban groups on either side of the border and explains the Pakistani reluctance to take on the Afghan Taliban.