Katherine Zimmerman is a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the research manager for AEI’s Critical Threats Project. As the senior analyst on al Qaeda, she studies how the terrorist network operates globally. Her work is also focused on al Qaeda’s affiliates in the Gulf of Aden region and in western and northern Africa. She specializes in al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the Yemen-based al Qaeda faction, and in al Shabaab, al Qaeda’s affiliate in Somalia.
Ms. Zimmerman has testified before Congress about the threats to US national security interests emanating from al Qaeda and its network. She has also briefed members of Congress, their staff, and members of the defense community. Her analyses have been widely published, including in CNN.com, The Huffington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.
She graduated with distinction from Yale University with a B.A. in political science and modern Middle East studies.
