How a battered al-Qa'eda was rebuilt | International News | News | Telegraph What unites and inspires the militants remains the global jihad ideology of the original al-Qa'eda. Rather than talk about day-to-day events as Zawahiri does, bin Laden expounds on global jihad - toppling corrupt Muslim rulers, uniting the Muslim world under one leader, spreading Islam and taking on the West. Bin Laden has survived half a century due to the failed policies of the United States which declined to chase him down when it was much easier to do so and instead focused on invading Iraq. If he were to die tomorrow, his message and organisation would remain a major threat to the world.