The core of al-Qaeda has been significantly degraded. Ayman al-Zawahiri is not Osama bin Laden, and the central organization is on a path of decline, but the threat that remains is now decentralized. Al-Qaeda affiliates and other emerging extremist groups still pose a threat to the United States and our national interests. From Al Qaeda in Iraq to Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, from al-Shabaab to Lashkar-e-Taiba, emerging extremist groups use al-Qaeda ties for financial assistance, training, arms, and messaging purposes. At the same time, they are often pursuing independent goals. Groups like Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula have emerged as one of the most dangerous threats to the United States, targeting the U.S. Embassy in Yemen, and making at least three unsuccessful attempts to bomb airlines over United States airspace. Many of these extremist groups are internally divided, torn between a local agenda and more global set of goals. We need an effective strategy to counter these new threats without losing sight of al-Qaeda's beleaguered core in Pakistan.