Al Qaeda’s Operational CommandAl Qaeda’s presence in Afghanistan today is multilayered and extensive. Developments since al-Zawahiri’s death indicate that, contrary to some predictions, his killing did not create a rift between the Taliban and Al Qaeda. For its part, Al Qaeda internalized the lesson that even within an environment of unprecedented sanctuary, complacency could prove fatal. Far from weakening the relationship, the incident created a new opening for Al Qaeda to increase its leverage within the Taliban. Al Qaeda has enormously capitalized on the Taliban in Afghanistan to strengthen its networks of recruitment, operations, and financing.