al Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan and Sudan

Definition

These are facilities set up by al Qaeda - an Islamist extremist group led by Osama bin Laden - used for recruiting and training members primarily for terrorist activities. They were most active in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Analogy

Think of these training camps as a sinister version of summer camp. Instead of learning arts and crafts or outdoor survival skills, recruits are taught how to carry out terrorist attacks.

Related terms

Osama bin Laden: The founder and former leader of al Qaeda who masterminded numerous terrorist attacks, including the September 11 attacks on the United States.

Taliban: An Islamist militant group that ruled large parts of Afghanistan and supported al Qaeda during its reign from 1996-2001.

War on Terror: A global military, political, legal, and ideological struggle initiated by the United States and its allies after the September 11 attacks with the aim to dismantle al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.