Do Our Leaders Know Anything Worth Knowing About Our Enemies?

Apparently not.

For the record, here are the books I've read recently about Islam and the War on Terror:

The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright
The Truth about Muhammad by Robert Spencer
Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters by Robert C. Davis
America Alone by Mark Steyn

Al Qaeda is a Sunni group. Osama bin Laden is a Sunni of the Wahabbist stripe. Their primary aim is ridding Saudi Arabia of infidels (us), then overthrowing the Saudi royal family.

The difference between Sunni and Shi'a is primarily theological, resting on different canons and different views of history. If I recall correctly, the Shi'a do not recognize changes in Islamic doctrine following the death of Muhammad, the Sunnis do.

The primary objective of Shi'ites is to restore the Caliphate, extending sharia law throughout.

I haven't referenced any notes and hope I've kept all that straight.

One presumes our political and military leaders ought to know a whole lot more than a part-time blogger about this. That they don't 5 years after 9/11 is dismaying at best.