Big changes continue for al-Qaida—earlier this week, the killing of Fazul Abdullah Mohammed dealt another heavy blow to the terrorist network, which then finally announced a new leader, Ayman Zawahiri. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates played down the news, saying he lacks the 'charisma' Bin Laden had. So what does the future look like for Al-Zawahiri and his organization?

Just three months ago, the common assumption was that al-Qaida was losing its importance in the Muslim world. The popular protests in Tunisia and Egypt appeared to herald a newer, younger, Internet-savvy, pro-democratic voice— a voice silenced by autocratic regimes for decades. Following the U.N.'s authorization of a no-fly zone over Libya, and a swift military intervention by international forces, those same pundits fear that al-Qaida might find new inspiration and opportunities for safe haven. Michael Scheuer, Former head of the CIA Bin Laden Tracking Unit, and author of the book “Osama Bin Laden" says that the U.S. is essentially providing air cover for al-Qaida.

Over the past two months, the world has witnessed tremendous change in the Middle East; but one voice has been conspicuously absent. Al-Qaida has yet to make a single announcement on the popular demonstrations that have forced out autocratic leaders from Tunisia and Egypt, or on the similar protests which have besieged the governments of Libya, Bahrain and other Arab nations. Is this a strategic move or has democracy wiped out the terrorist organization?

Militants believed to be associated with the Islamic State of Iraq, a fundamentalist group associated with Al-Qaida in Mesopotamia, attacked the Iraqi stock exchange yesterday then fled to a nearby church where they took nearly 100 hostages in what would become one of the worst bloodbaths in recent history. At least 52 hostages and Iraqi policemen were killed, many of whom died when a militant blew himself up. Five militants were also slain, and fifty people were wounded.

A breach in air security and the smuggling of explosives onto two cargo planes bound for the U.S. has raised concerns about the screening process of air-freight cargo. Two packages carrying explosives originating in Yemen made their through four countries on at least four different airplanes before being tracked down in Britain and Dubai. Empty printer cartridges were used to hide the bombs.

Officials are now admitting vulnerabilities in the screening of cargo flights that are being exploited by terror organizations like al-Qaida. 

The CIA has shifted its focus from Afghanistan to a country it believes currently holds a more serious threat from al-Qaida: Yemen. That and this morning's headlines.

The Al-Qaida branch in Yemen has reportedly launched an English-language magazine, called Inspire. The group, which has been linked to the failed Christmas airline bombing attempt over Detroit, posted a few pages of the magazine on jihadist websites, including a front cover tease on how to "make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom."

Three suicide car bombings killed dozens in Iraq this weekend. Though no one has taken credit for the attacks, which targeted foreign embassies, Rod Nordland, foreign correspondent for The New York Times says it's widely believed that al Qaida of Mesopotamia is to blame.

Yesterday Pakistan suffered a series of coordinated attacks against police and military compounds which killed 40 people in the country's second-largest city, Lahore. More violence hit the nation this morning when a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb at a mosque next to a police station in the northwest city of Peshawar, killing at least seven people. Over the past two weeks, coordinated attacks have killed more than 150 people across the country.  The violence seems intended to force the government to abandon a planned offensive into militants' stronghold along the Afghan border.

How are the residents of Pakistan reacting to the dramatic uptick in violence? We are joined by Issam Ahmed, reporter for the Christian Science Monitor in Islamabad, Pakistan; and Daniyal Mueenuddin, author of the book of stories “In Other Rooms, Other Wonders.” Mueenuddin lives in southern Punjab in Pakistan, where he owns and runs a farm.

President Obama continues to consult with his war advisors on Afghanistan, looking to focus efforts on the primary adversary, al-Qaida, rather than the Taliban. But now a senior U.S. government official says al-Qaida is in severe financial trouble. David Cohen, who monitors terrorist funding at the U.S. Treasury Department, said in a speech last night that al-Qaida’s influence was waning because of a lack of funds. He said the U.S. and its allies had successfully cut off the group’s sources of funding by targeting its donors. We talk with Bob Ayers, international security analyst, about whether or not al-Qaida can continue a terrorist operation with little money.

In a dramatic example of how the terrorist group may have reconstituted itself in Yemen, three German nationals were killed and six other foreigners remain missing after a kidnapping on Monday. Some experts believe al Qaida is responsible; they appear to be flourishing in the Arab world's poorest nation. The Takeaway speaks with Gregory Johnsen, terrorism analyst for the Jamestown Foundation, for more.

The Justice Department has been investigating the Bush administration lawyers who drafted the so-called torture memos that outlined brutal techniques for gathering information. According to our partners, The New York Times, today the Justice Department will recommend that that lawyers who wrote the memos should not be criminally prosecuted, despite their serious lapses in judgment. To discuss, The Takeaway is joined by Scott Shane, national security reporter for the New York Times.



For more, read Scott Shane's and David Johnston's article, Torture Memos: Inquiry Suggests No Prosecutions, in today's New York Times.