Al-Qaeda has once again brought the Bin Laden name to the forefront of its propaganda campaign, releasing a new video through its media wing As-Sahab ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
Titled “A Quarter of a Century Since 9/11,” the approximately 52-minute production combines archival footage, statements from former Al-Qaeda leaders and Western analysts, and newly circulated material featuring Hamza bin Laden, the son of Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden.
The release has attracted renewed attention because of Hamza bin Laden’s appearance, despite previous reports that he was killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation in 2019. Al-Qaeda has never publicly confirmed his death through an official announcement or funeral statement.
The appearance of Hamza bin Laden is the most striking element of the latest As-Sahab production. For years, Hamza had been promoted by Al-Qaeda as a potential successor to his father and as a figure capable of carrying the Bin Laden legacy into a new generation. His reported death in 2019 appeared to close that chapter.
The latest footage, however, has once again placed his image at the centre of Al-Qaeda’s propaganda narrative. Rather than simply presenting historical material, the production appears designed to connect the organisation’s past leadership with its present-day ideological messaging, using the Bin Laden name to reinforce continuity and maintain the group’s relevance.
The video prominently features material associated with Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, alongside Hamza bin Laden. It also includes commentary from Michael Scheuer, the former head of the CIA’s unit responsible for tracking Osama bin Laden. The production concludes with previously released audio attributed to Osama bin Laden, originally disseminated by As-Sahab in May 2011.
The sequencing is significant. By placing Hamza’s appearance between contemporary messaging and archival statements from Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda effectively attempts to create a sense of continuity between its founding generation and its current propaganda campaign.
The message is clear: despite years of leadership losses and sustained counterterrorism pressure, Al-Qaeda wants its supporters and sympathisers to believe that its ideological legacy remains intact. The timing of the release is also significant. The 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks provides Al-Qaeda with a major propaganda opportunity. The organisation has repeatedly used significant anniversaries and historical events to revive its narrative, attract attention and remind supporters of its past.
The latest production follows the same pattern. By revisiting 9/11 while introducing Hamza bin Laden into the narrative, Al-Qaeda appears intent on transforming a historical anniversary into an opportunity to reinforce its contemporary message. The video therefore serves not simply as a retrospective of the past, but as an attempt to demonstrate that the organisation remains present, active and capable of producing high-profile propaganda.
Hamza bin Laden’s appearance also raises renewed questions about longstanding reports concerning his death. In 2019, U.S. officials announced that Hamza had reportedly been killed in a counterterrorism operation near the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. However, Al-Qaeda never publicly confirmed his death. The latest video has therefore reopened speculation over whether the footage was recorded before the 2019 announcement, whether it represents previously unreleased material, or whether Hamza survived and remained within Al-Qaeda’s network.
The exact circumstances cannot be established solely from the propaganda production and require further intelligence assessment.
The release comes amid continued international concern over Al-Qaeda’s presence in Afghanistan. United Nations assessments have repeatedly indicated that Al-Qaeda retains a presence in Afghanistan and maintains longstanding relationships with elements of the Taliban. International monitoring bodies have also continued to raise concerns regarding Al-Qaeda’s ability to maintain senior operatives, safe houses, training infrastructure and support networks inside the country.
The Taliban, meanwhile, has consistently rejected accusations that it provides sanctuary to Al-Qaeda and maintains that Afghan territory will not be allowed to be used against other countries. Against this backdrop, the emergence of a new Al-Qaeda propaganda production carrying the Bin Laden legacy is likely to attract increased scrutiny from regional and international counterterrorism agencies.
The latest As-Sahab production demonstrates that Al-Qaeda continues to understand the power of symbolism. Osama bin Laden remains the organisation’s most recognisable figure. By bringing Hamza bin Laden back into the spotlight, Al-Qaeda can attempt to capitalise on that legacy while presenting its ideological narrative to a younger generation.
The production also illustrates how the organisation uses archival material, historical personalities and contemporary messaging to create the perception of continuity. The objective is not necessarily to demonstrate battlefield strength. Rather, it is to show that Al-Qaeda’s message, leadership narrative and propaganda machinery have survived years of military pressure and leadership losses.
The release is expected to increase international scrutiny of Al-Qaeda’s activities, particularly in Afghanistan and the wider region. Security agencies will likely examine the footage for clues regarding its production date, location, individuals involved and the current state of Al-Qaeda’s media infrastructure.
The appearance of Hamza bin Laden will also be closely assessed for any indication of his current status and possible role within the organisation. At the same time, the production serves as a reminder that terrorist organisations can remain strategically relevant through propaganda even when their conventional operational capabilities are under sustained pressure.
Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, Al-Qaeda has once again attempted to place itself at the centre of the international information environment. The new As-Sahab production brings together the images and messages of Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri and Hamza bin Laden, creating a carefully constructed narrative designed to connect Al-Qaeda’s past with its present.
The reappearance of Hamza bin Laden is particularly significant given the long-standing reports surrounding his alleged death and the absence of an official confirmation from Al-Qaeda. While the video alone does not establish a resurgence of Al-Qaeda’s operational capabilities, it demonstrates that the organisation continues to possess a functioning propaganda apparatus and remains determined to preserve the Bin Laden legacy.
The latest release is therefore more than an anniversary video it is a calculated attempt by Al-Qaeda to remind supporters, rivals and the international community that, despite decades of counterterrorism pressure, the organisation’s propaganda campaign and ideological narrative remain active.
