On August 25, 2004, the United Nations Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team issued its first report pursuant to UN Resolution 1526 concerning Al Qaeda and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities. Unfortunately, the report was not positive.

Al Qaeda has evolved into a global network of groups not connected by any organizational structure but linked by a set of overlapping goals. The leaders of the group use the basic Muslim duty of Jihad to justify terrorist campaigns against both Muslim and non-Muslim States. Previously Al Qaeda was well organized and had a formal membership owing allegiance to Osama bin Laden...[more]