Al-Qaea, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa'ida or al-Qa'idah, (Arabic: القاعدة; transliteration: al-qā‘idah; translation: The Base) is an international Sunni Islamic terrorist organization, or alliance of such organizations, founded in 1988 by Abdullah Yusuf Azzam (later replaced by Osama Bin Laden) and other veteran "Afghan Arabs" after the Soviet War in Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda has attacked civilian and military targets in various countries, the most notable being the September 11 attacks in 2001. These actions were followed by the US government launching a military and intelligence campaign against al-Qaeda called the War on Terror.