The Threat of New Al-Qaeda Leadership: The Case of Syria's Abu Mohammed Al-Joulani
June 30, 2015 - Jennifer Cafarella![](https://understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumb-wide/public/The%20Threat%20of%20New%20Al-Qaeda%20Leadership--cover%20square_0.png?itok=GJeiW_r_)
The death of al-Qaeda’s general manager, Nasir al-Wahayshi, will likely disrupt al-Qaeda’s global operations until he is replaced. It is likely that al-Qaeda leader Aymen al-Zawahiri will nominate his replacement according to traditional leadership patterns. It is dangerous but plausible, however, that Zawahiri will seek to maximize the influence of newer al-Qaeda leaders. One possible candidate for future al-Qaeda leadership is Abu Mohammed al-Joulani, the leader of al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, Jabhat al-Nusra.