Although badly damaged, al Qaeda has thus far managed to survive the focused and prolonged assault by the global coalition attempting to destroy it. It has also weathered the ideological and physical challenges from the Islamic State -- a foe that is arguably more dangerous to the group than the U.S.-led counterterrorism campaign. If pressure on the al Qaeda core and its franchises is eased, the group could recover much of its pre-9/11 terrorist capability. ...