There are many terrorist groups in the world today. Everyone has their own goal and purpose. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (IS) is one of the most notorious and deadly terrorist groups today. Al-Qaeda is another well-known terrorist group. Their tactics and motivations are far beyond our understanding. Anyone who has seen or heard the news knows about these two groups, but it is unclear where they came from or what their intentions are. The two groups, however, share similarities and differences that help define them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get an Original EssayIn order to understand where ISIS and Al-Qaeda come from, we must first understand what defines a group of people as a group terrorist and where they have come from since. Few people know what makes a person with extreme political views want to participate in terrorism. In the textbook Understanding the Political World it is stated that “the U.S. Department of State defines terrorism as premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents (Pearson 327). » In other words, terrorism is a violent act committed by an individual or group for political reasons. Bombs can be placed in public spaces; mass shootings can occur; deadly chemicals can be placed in anything; attacks on government buildings. Terrorism can occur anywhere and at any time and its rate of occurrence is constantly changing over time. Terrorist groups are more likely to come from countries with low levels of political freedom. In 2013, there were nearly 10,000 attacks, 17,000 deaths, and 33,000 injuries in one year (US Department of State 2014). Most of these attacks came from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq. Although few people know why terrorist groups target noncombatants, there are five theories to explain and guide these acts, as the political world's playbook says. First, terrorists can target their own or another state on the basis of injustices, despite harm to civilians. Second, terrorists can target domestic groups. Third, terrorists may act to gain international publicity and prove their claims to the world. Fourth, financial security or the release of imprisoned members can also provide a motive for terrorist groups. Fifth and last, terrorist groups can act to promote revolutionary ideas. All of these theories are based on political scientists looking for answers. Al-Qaeda is a Sunni militant Islamist group founded by Osama bin Laden and Abdullah Azzam in 1988. Al-Qaeda began after Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan and after fighting against Soviet troops, it was eventually driven back . and Osama bin Laden met with his associates to keep his new terrorist group alive. Bin Laden's goal was to recruit Muslims from around the world to support him and join his "holy war", also known as jihad. With the help of other groups in the Middle East, Osama bin Laden began to establish the basis for jihad against the West. Al Qaeda's most devastating attack on the United States occurred on September 11, 2001, when four planes were hijacked; two of them were thrown and crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon atWashington DC and the last one on a field in Pennsylvania. After the attacks, the US military responded to eliminate Al-Qaeda and on May 2, 2011, Osama was killed by US Navy Seals. Al-Qaeda's ideology and tactics are important to understanding who this group really is. The main goals of this group are to distance Americans and their culture from Muslim nations; destroy Israel and enforce the rise of Islam; and establish an Islamic nation from the reign of the first caliphs. Osama bin Laden said that apostates of the Islamic faith had a duty to take part in the holy war against the Americans. To achieve these goals, Al-Qaeda used several different tactics: car bombings, roadside bombings, hijackings, and other tactics. One of the group's most important tactics is to launch multiple attacks at the same time to increase the fear level of civilians and maximize damage in an area. ISIS was originally a branch of Al-Qaeda and in 2004, Abu Musab al Zarqawi created Al-Qaeda in Iraq: the beginning of ISIS. When Zarqawi was killed in a US airstrike, al Masri took over and renamed the group the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). When opinions shifted from those of Al-Qaeda, the ISI distanced itself from the parent group and embarked on its own path of terrorism. At this point, the ISI changed its name to what is now known as ISIS. Under the leadership of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIS's main goal was to take over Syria and Iraq and now expand to other countries in the Middle East. ISIS has its own tactics for taking over countries. Their tactics include posting horrific videos in which they torture those who do not believe in the Islamic faith. These videos include the executions of many Muslims and Americans caught in the horrific hands of ISIS terrorists. ISIS uses one of the theories of international publicity to show its power to the world. “The Islamic State uses mass executions, public beheadings, rape, and symbolic depictions of crucifixion to terrorize the population into submission and “purify” the community, while providing basic services (Byman). » To ensure that Syria became an Islamic state, ISIS presented itself as a government, imposing taxes, limiting education and many other elements of society. As a result of these actions, ISIS has become the deadliest terrorist group in the world. This approach is much more brutal and harsh on the part of Al-Qaeda and has attracted negative attention from around the world. Although these two terrorist groups are different in many ways, they share many similarities. These two groups share the same ideology which is Wahhabi. This ideology focuses on the Middle East's return to the primitive Islam of the Quran and is practiced by strict Sunni Muslims. In addition to their ideology, both groups are internationalists. These groups have strong political views based on socialism and liberalism; by wanting both economic and social freedom and establishing a religion that all can follow. Because these groups originate from each other, ISIS and al-Qaeda target and assassinate non-believing Muslims and gravitate toward young people to gain followers. With the new technologies in today's world, it is easier for terrorist groups to release horrific videos or propaganda actions in order to make their point and gain followers. The last main point that these two groups share is when and why these groups started. The beginnings of Al-Qaeda and.