Are we in agreement that some kind of Al-Qaeda exists, even if it's just an empty shell to hide something else? Or are you of the opinion that Al-Qaeda is a 100% fictional creation without a physical existence?
I believe Al-Qaeda, as we know it, is simply a front, kind of the same way an organized crime ring might open up what appears to be a legitimate business to hide their illegitimate activities. From the outside all you see is a dry cleaner or pizza kitchen. You can even go inside and actually get some laundry done or a slice of pizza. But behind the scenes, there are totally different owners doing totally different things. The real business, hidden behind the front business, is drugs, prostitution, child trafficking, or something else of that nature.
That's what I see when I look at Al-Qaeda - a pizza kitchen hiding a highly covert, highly illegal State-sponsored terrorism operation.