Two good articles on bin Laden/al-Qaida with regard to the Arab Spring.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/88f2a8a2-74dd-11e0-a4b7-00144feabdc0.html
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2011/0502/For-many-Arabs-Osama-bin-Laden-had-already-lost-his-appeal