Strategic Analysis of Violent Extremist Organizations in the US Central Command AOR

Abstract

In this study, our research team examines the organizational sophistication, leadership, and tactical patterns of five high-priority Violent Extremist Organizations (VEOs) operating in the United States Central Command Area of Responsibility (USCENTCOM). The five VEOs include Hayat Tahrir al- Sham (HTS), Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State Sinai Province (IS-SP), Jaish al-Adl, and Lebanese Hezbollah. We draw from both the leadership for the Extreme and Dangerous for Innovative Results project and the Global Terrorism Database to examine the organizational sophistication, leadership, and tactical patterns of each of the five VEOs. Our findings indicate that ISIL continues to pose the greatest threat to US interests in the CENTCOM AOR. In the near future, however, HTS and Lebanese Hezbollah may pose greater threats depending on dynamic actions.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 06, 2020
Accession Number
AD1097397

Entities

People

  • Gina Ligon
  • Lauren Zimmerman
  • Michael Logan

Organizations

  • University of Nebraska Omaha

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Autonomy
  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Counterterrorism
  • Governments
  • Health Services
  • International Organizations
  • Middle East
  • Military Operations
  • Military Science
  • Military Training
  • National Politics
  • Security
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • Training
  • United States
  • United States Central Command
  • Violence
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.