Introduction After the September 11th attacks, the Bush Administrations War on Terror brought terrorist groups (notably al-Qaeda) to the forefront of the global scene, making the Middle East the site of the 21st-century’s newfound conflict. Ten years later, the death of Osama Bin Laden heralded an end to the supremacy of the al-Qaeda core and its leadership, yet began the threat of affiliate groups to al-Qaeda, and the new radical group ISIS. Despite most affiliates inability to launch successful global terrorist attacks, domestic attacks raise concerns for the current state of the Middle East, and future for the global community.
According to counterterrorism officials, which extremist group poses the greatest threat to Western interests? …show more content…
These four affiliates pledge allegiance to al-Qaeda’s current leader (and Bin-Laden’s successor) Ayman al-Zawahiri. While most analysts agree that these four groups are al-Qaeda affiliates, there is debate over the true number of al-Qaeda associates. Some experts advocate that other groups in Pakistan, the Middle East and North Africa such as the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Ansar al Din, Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia and Benghazi (Mantel, 2014). This contention amongst experts and analysts arises from the loose definition of al-Qaeda association. Some argue that those groups that share al-Qaeda’s ideology of “violent jihad to create an Islamic caliphate under strict Islamic law, or sharia, extending across all Muslim lands” should be by default associated with the terrorist group, while others argue that only those directly related to or cooperating with the al-Qaeda core should be considered associates (Mantel, 2014). This distinction puts the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) into an odd group, as they share similar ideologies, yet consider themselves separate from …show more content…
Some foreigners may have joined due to the Syrian war, as the Assad regime is slaughtering innocent people, and individuals feel morally obligated to fight conflict against the regime (Mantel, 2014). In regards to explicitly joining ISIS over other groups, ISIS is extremely proficient at using social media and other facets to garner recruits to their cause (Mantel, 2014). Both ISIS and Jabhat al-Nursa are more tempting to join, as they are more cohesive, well financed and better structured than the other al-Qaeda affiliates (Mantel, 2014).
Conclusion
Despite the U.S best efforts in quelling extremist group’s uprising in the Middle East, affiliate groups to al-Qaeda and new emerging groups such as ISIS continue to be a problem. Although they currently only impact local politics and peoples, left alone, it would only be a matter of time before these local issues once again came to the global scene. It is of the utmost interest of the world to see to these threats, and prevent global terrorism on a multi-lateral cooperative
According to counterterrorism officials, which extremist group poses the greatest threat to Western interests? …show more content…
These four affiliates pledge allegiance to al-Qaeda’s current leader (and Bin-Laden’s successor) Ayman al-Zawahiri. While most analysts agree that these four groups are al-Qaeda affiliates, there is debate over the true number of al-Qaeda associates. Some experts advocate that other groups in Pakistan, the Middle East and North Africa such as the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Ansar al Din, Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia and Benghazi (Mantel, 2014). This contention amongst experts and analysts arises from the loose definition of al-Qaeda association. Some argue that those groups that share al-Qaeda’s ideology of “violent jihad to create an Islamic caliphate under strict Islamic law, or sharia, extending across all Muslim lands” should be by default associated with the terrorist group, while others argue that only those directly related to or cooperating with the al-Qaeda core should be considered associates (Mantel, 2014). This distinction puts the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) into an odd group, as they share similar ideologies, yet consider themselves separate from …show more content…
Some foreigners may have joined due to the Syrian war, as the Assad regime is slaughtering innocent people, and individuals feel morally obligated to fight conflict against the regime (Mantel, 2014). In regards to explicitly joining ISIS over other groups, ISIS is extremely proficient at using social media and other facets to garner recruits to their cause (Mantel, 2014). Both ISIS and Jabhat al-Nursa are more tempting to join, as they are more cohesive, well financed and better structured than the other al-Qaeda affiliates (Mantel, 2014).
Conclusion
Despite the U.S best efforts in quelling extremist group’s uprising in the Middle East, affiliate groups to al-Qaeda and new emerging groups such as ISIS continue to be a problem. Although they currently only impact local politics and peoples, left alone, it would only be a matter of time before these local issues once again came to the global scene. It is of the utmost interest of the world to see to these threats, and prevent global terrorism on a multi-lateral cooperative