The death of Osama bin Laden comes at a time when al-Qaeda in Iraq has been shifting strategies in an effort to recoup from years of setbacks. A source within the security department of the Iraqi government tells TIME that according to Baghdad’s intelligence work, “Al-Qaeda is setting up new plans in Iraq — changes in their leadership and locations, moving them from south to north, from one city to another. That makes us more worried that they could carry out successful attacks, and maybe a very big attack or revenge attacks for the death of bin Laden. Al-Qaeda promises to do these things and I’m afraid that with all the added support they have now, they will be able to.” Recent bombings, he said, prove they are still able to hit out at practically any moment.
