Al Queda is, I think, largely (though not entirely) mythical. Not that it doesn't exist at all. It does exist to some extent, as scattered groups of conspirators. But it was mostly conjured up by planners in the USA and Britain and used in a gigantic PR exercise to provoke wars in what is a vital strategic region. Why? Because of the oil that is there. We are reaching...or have reached...peak oil. We have passed the point where the world's oil production peaks and we're on the downcurve. Oil is going to become scarcer, harder to find, much more expensive to produce. This is going to put the squeeze on our entire industrial civilization and create a world crisis that will only get worse, and it will probably get worse rapidly.
The USA and the UK have had plans in place for a long time to secure control of as much of the world's remaining oil reserves as they possibly can, and to do it quickly...if necessary, to do it violently.
Afghanistan and Iraq and Iran are absolutely crucial areas in those plans, and that is the real reason why events were put into motion such as 911 and why wars have been fought in Afghanistan and Iraq. It's the real reason why a completely unnecessary cultural conflict has been provoked between the Muslim world and the West.
Afghanistan doesn't have oil itself, but it's positioned between regions that do, and it's meant to serve as a route to transport the oil from some former Soviet republics down to the Indian ocean. Iraq and Iran do have oil, lots of it, therefore the intention has been to create compliant regimes in Iraq and Iran which will cooperate fully with the UK and America as regards the oil. That required an invasion of Iraq. It will require an invasion of Iran as well.
And that is the most dangerous move of all in this Great Game.
Al Queda is just an excuse, a handy one, a provocation. If Al Queda ceased to exist, a new Al Queda would have to be invented, because the UK and America need them as the official boogeyman to scare their public into supporting wars. They need Ahmadinejad for the same reason. If he goes, they'll have to find another "bad guy" in Iran to take his place.
This is a very big game. It's about survival. That's why the people playing it are willing to do absolutely anything, no matter how awful it is, to advance their agenda. They probably feel that they have no choice.