DAVID FRANCIS Few had heard of ISIS before it sent the Middle East into chaos. Now, American lives and dollars are attempting to stop the group from forming a caliphate in the Middle East. ISIS isn’t alone: There are many other terrorist organizations whose goal is to create havoc and strike the West. Here are the nine biggest threats. AL-QAEDA IN THE ISLAMIC MAGHREB Leader: Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud Operating Theater: North Africa Stated Aims: al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has threatened targets in Europe and the United States. It’s raised some $50 million over the last decade, mainly through donations and ransoms. The State Department has designated it a Foreign Terrorist Organization. ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ AND SYRIA (ISIS, ISIL, IS) Leader: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Operating Theater: Syria and Iraq Stated Aims: ISIS is attempting to form a caliphate in the Middle East; it has set its sights on land from Saudi Arabia to Israel. While there’s debate about the group’s threat to the west, it has attracted thousands of foreign fighters to its ranks of what some say is over 35,000. The State Department has designated it a Foreign Terrorist Organization. AL-QAEDA IN THE ARABIAN PENINSULA Leader: Nasir al-Wuhayshi Operating Theater: The Arabian Peninsula Stated Aims: Under the leadership of Anwar al-Awlaki, an American Muslim, the group grew from a disorganized band of militants to a fighting force capable of sending Yemen into chaos. It was responsible for the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, which killed 17 sailors. It’s already been active on American shores; in 2009, Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, a member of the group, opened fire on a military recruiting station in Arkansas, killing one. The State Department has designated it a Foreign Terrorist Organization. BOKO HARAM Leader: Abubakar Shekau Operating Theater: Northern Nigeria Stated Aims: Boko Haram claims to want to form a caliphate in Nigeria, but all its really done since it rose to prominence in 2009 is kill Nigerians. Since then, human rights organizations estimate the group has killed 5,000 people (they’re also infamous for kidnapping almost 300 Nigerian school girls). Recently, the Nigerian government said its leader, Abubakar Shekau, was captured and killed. Last week, a video of him alive and well surfaced. The State Department has designated it a Foreign Terrorist Organization. AL SHABAAB Leader: Ahmad Umar Operating Theater: Horn of Africa Stated Aims: Al Shabaab wants African troops out of Somalia, and has been waging a campaign of terror in Somalia, Kenya and Uganda in an attempt to accomplish this goal. It’s most successful operation occurred last September, when the group attacked a mall in Kenya, killing 68. They work in concert with Boko Haram and AQIM. U.S. officials are concerned that the group could strike in America, with attackers coming from the large Somali diaspora. The State Department has designated it a Foreign Terrorist Organization. KHORASAN GROUP Leader: Muhsin al-Fadhli Operating Theater: Syria Stated Aims: Few had heard of the Khorasan Group before the American campaign against ISIS began. Little is known about the group, but Director of National Intelligence James Clapper stated in September, "In terms of threat to the homeland, Khorasan may pose as much of a danger as the Islamic State (IS)." The nature of this threat is unknown – some officials suspect they want to use explosives on airplanes - but the State Department has designated it a Foreign Terrorist Organization. AL NUSRA Leader: Muhsin al-Fadhli Operating Theater: Syria and Lebanon Stated Aims: Al Nusra is the formal al Qaeda affiliate in Syria. With 5,000 to 6,000 fighters, it’s been a great help to rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The group is considered a more regional threat, but as a part of al Qaeda, its stated aim is to strike the West. The State Department has designated it a Foreign Terrorist Organization. JEMAAH ISLAMIYAH Leader: Unknown Operating Theater: Southeast Asia Stated Aims: Jemaah Islamiyah is responsible for the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people in Indonesia. Since then, it’s been involved in a series of smaller terror attacks and remains active in the region. It’s stated goal is to form a caliphate in Southeast Asia. The State Department has designated it a Foreign Terrorist Organization. TEHRIK-I-TALIBAN PAKISTAN Leader: Maulana Fazlullah Operating Theater: Pakistan Stated Aims: The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan has come closest to striking America; this group planned the failed 2010 Times Square bombing. It also fights Afghan security forces in efforts to destabilize its neighbor. The State Department has designated it a Foreign Terrorist Organization. [As ye sow, so shall ye reap]
There are a lot of similarities with these jihadists and the communists of the previous century. Both groups had an ideology which they thought was righteous and they used it to advance their political aims through any means necessary. With regard to the Jihadists, I am not convinced that things would have been different had the US had a more "hands off" approach in the Middle east. fan27
No way of knowing. But the 9/11 pilots didn't crash into the Eiffel Tower, or Buckingham Palace, or the Vatican, or the Kremlin.
She probably consults the head of the CIA. John Brennan. Oh, and he's a muslim, too. What could go wrong.