Documents released in the court case of a New York terrorist shows that the threat of al-Qaida was more far reaching than 2011 rhetoric about the terrorist first let on. When SEAL Team 6 slammed through the compound of Osama bin Laden, they were not taking out Grandpa Jihad as he sat in his retirement home. According to prosecutors in the trial of Abid Naseer – who was planning attacks in Europe and New York City – bin Laden was still leading the organization, which had tendrils in Iran. According to the Weekly Standard, bin Laden was using an upstart terrorist organization called ISIL to his advantage. “Bin Laden advised his subordinates that they should contact Abu Mohammad al Maqdisi, a well-known jihadist ideologue, to see if Maqdisi would agree to have one of his books shortened before being more widely disseminated,” the Standard writes. “Bin Laden’s words show how much respect he had for Maqdisi. The Jordanians have routinely imprisoned Maqdisi, but recently let him out of detention so that he could denounce the Islamic State, which has emerged as al Qaeda’s rival. This shows how al Qaeda is using the Islamic State to portray itself as being more moderate.” With the U.S. focused on ISIL, where is al-Qaida and what is it plotting now? More…