“Al-Qaeda, which means 'the base' in English, lost its base and training camps in Afghanistan, while its leaders were on the run, captured, or dead. One year after the 9/11 attacks, al-Qaeda was still on life support.”

American journalist and national security analyst Bergen is a leading voice on terrorism and geopolitics, known for his work as CNN’s chief national security correspondent and as a senior director at the New America Foundation. His books and reporting have shaped public understanding of conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and beyond.