LONDON — Far from being crippled by the U.S.-led war on terror, Al Qaeda (search) has more than 18,000 potential terrorists scattered around the world and the war in Iraq is swelling its ranks, a report said Tuesday.
Al Qaeda is probably working on plans for major attacks on the United States and Europe, and it may be seeking weapons of mass destruction in its desire to inflict as many casualties as possible, the International Institute of Strategic Studies (search) said in its annual survey of world affairs.
Usama bin Laden's (search) network appears to be operating in more than 60 nations, often in concert with local allies, the study by the independent think tank said.
Although about half of Al Qaeda's top 30 leaders have been killed or captured, it has an effective leadership, with bin Laden apparently still playing a key role, it said....