Ayman Al-Zawahiri

Al-Qaeda has conducted only one fatal attack in the U.S. since 9/11, a 2019 shooting in Pensacola, Florida, by a Saudi Air Force officer affiliated with its Yemen branch. Other post-9/11 plots, including failed airline bombings and cargo attacks, were thwarted, and key leaders like Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri were killed.

This Lawfare article analyzes the legal implications of the drone strike that killed Ayman Al-Zawahiri, examining whether the operation complied with international law and U.S. legal frameworks governing the use of force.