these days al qaeda is more of a brand than a top-down organization. extremist sunni groups around the world are claiming connections to al qaeda even if they don't, in fact, have any contact with bin laden or zawahiri. it seems that "al qaeda" as an affiliation has a certain cache with militants. probably because it is the fastest and easiest way to be able to claim that you're really taking on the americans and/or the rest of the west. besides, no one ever heard of "al-jamaa'a al-salafiiya lil-da'awa wal-qataal" (الجماعة السلفية للدعوة والقتال or "groupe salafiste pour la prédication et le combat" (GSPC)), but everyone recognizes "al qaeda in the islamic maghreb," even if they don't know what the maghreb is.
in short, labeling ones own group "al qaeda" gives the group instant cache. it's a propaganda move that serves to elevate the stature of a previously obscure and marginal organization. perhaps joining the al qaeda franchise will also bring in resources from the original al qaeda group currently in hiding in afghanistan and pakistan, or maybe not. but it's sure to give the group some more attention. and terrorism is all about getting attention. if a bomb explodes in the woods and no one is there to hear it, it can't terrorize anyone.
which is why it's a little odd to see so many people in the west jumping on the al qaeda bandwagon whenever a new "al qaeda" group pops up. calling a group "al qaeda" without noting that it once had a different name or is, in fact, a local group that changed its name works to solidify the al qaeda brand, give additional authority to an otherwise obscure group, and generally add to the confusion of the public about the organization in question. it is, in a real sense, assisting the propaganda of both the real al qaeda and the group that adopts the name al qaeda.
on the other hand, i guess i don't see a way around it either. "al qaeda" as a label doesn't just serve islamist groups purposes, it also serves the agenda of those who want to advance a broad worldwide war on islamic extremism. if "islamic extremism" is united under a single banner, it makes it easy to gloss over the contradictory goals and interests of the local groups into one large menacing undifferentiated enemy.
