An expert warns that al Qaeda remains the “most dangerous terrorist group” in the world, 24 years after the 9/11 attacks, in which 19 members hijacked four flights, killing 2,977 people in the U.S.
Despite the notoriety gained by groups like ISIS and Hamas in recent years due to their violent methods, Bill Roggio, a senior analyst and editor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ “Long War Journal,” told Digital that al Qaeda’s threat is more widespread.
“The most dangerous terrorist group 24 years after 9/11 remains al Qaeda,” Roggio stated, adding that “With the support of the Taliban, the situation there is far worse than it was pre-9/11.”
Roggio noted that al Qaeda is operating training camps in at least 13 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, and its global operations have expanded across the Middle East and Africa over the past two decades.
“Its global organization remains intact. It controls probably more than a third of Somalia and then, it’s so-called former affiliate – and I’m not convinced the links have been broken – now controls the government of Syria, with the Hayat Tahir Al Sham as its leader.
“President [Donald] Trump, even welcomed the takeover, the ouster of Bashar Al Assad. This was a mistake, in my estimation,” he added. “It’s a group that has proven to be clever, to be committed.”
Roggio expressed his primary concern regarding terrorism nearly two and a half decades after 9/11 is the safe havens these groups have been given, as well as public opinion toward them.
“The number one concern I have for the threat of terrorism is the rise in safe havens for these groups,” he said. “Afghanistan – al Qaeda, running training camps, the Iranians continuing to provide safe haven, countries like Iraq, where the Shia militias are permitted to operate, al-Shabab – al Qaeda branch in Somalia – has safe haven in the areas they control.”
“This is where, when terrorist groups have the time, the space and the security to plot, to execute, to recruit, to raise funds, they can conduct an attack like 9/11 and they have that in multiple places now,” Roggio added.
Terrorist groups are gaining access to increasingly sophisticated weaponry through state support, such as that provides to groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
Furthermore, the increased accessibility of technological advancements like AI and drones has amplified the threat level posed by these groups.
Roggio also emphasized that these groups do not require advanced weaponry or technology to .
“Nobody thought that box cutters and some training on airlines would lead to 9/11 and yet it happened,” he said.
Groups that were either nonexistent or “shadows” of their current selves prior to 9/11, operating on a cellular level, now possess “armies across the globe,” according to Roggio.
He also highlighted the growing public support for groups that have committed significant atrocities and human rights violations.
“When you look at the attitudes toward jihadist organizations, look at the support for Hamas today… the rise in antisemitism and the decrease in support for Israel – these are all indicators that things are trending for the jihadist organizations.
“To me, these are indications that we have lost the war on terror,” he added.
Roggio explained that there is a lack of “will” to fully understand and address the rise in extremism, and that countering it requires more than just military action, but also addressing the underlying radical ideology.
“We defeated Nazi Germany,” he pointed out. “It’s something that can be done. We had the will to do it.
“Our hesitation, our unwillingness, our lack of commitment in these countries has emboldened them and again,” Roggio said. “Until we remove the state sponsorship, until we are able to effectively deal with the purveyors of the radical ideology, these threats will persist.”
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