Joe Carter provides a helpful distillation of some of the key distinguishing features between these two groups of Muslims. Quotable quote:
“Is Al Qaeda Sunni or Shi’a? If you don’t have clue you’re not alone. Jeff Stein, the National Security editor for Congressional Quarterly, posed that simple question to two Republicans on the Intelligence Committee, a Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, and several top counter-terrorism officials at the FBI. None of them knew the answer.”