Criminal Law: Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, Al-Shabaab in Somalia, National Strategy for Counterterrorism (Essay Sample)

Criminal Law
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Introduction
Counterterrorism can be pragmatically defined as an aspect that incorporates the practice, military tactics and strategies that a government uses so as to combat or even prevent terrorism CITATION Bol111 \l 1033 (Bolz Jr, 2011).
Question 1
Read the Foreign Affairs article, "Terrorist Tug-of-War: ISIS and al Qaeda Struggle for al Shabab's Soul," and after conducting your own research, in your own words, discuss the elements of each group, Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and al Shabaab in Somalia, and explain what makes the groups different, and effective, or ineffective.
Answer
Al Qaeda in Afghanistan
Al Qaeda is considered to be an international terrorist network that was founded by Osama bin Laden in the late eighties CITATION Cul131 \l 1033 (Cullingworth, 2013). The group seeks to rid the Muslim States of what it sees as the profane influence in the west and also replace their government with radical Islamic regimes. What is makes the group different is the aspect that they have superior weapons that they use to counter the terror aspects effectively. The principal objectives of al-Qaeda are usually to drive the Americans influence out of all the Muslim nations that include Saudi Arabia, destroy Israel and also topple the pro-Western dictatorships in the region of the Middle East.
Islamic State in Iraq and Syria
The self-proclaimed Islamic State is without doubt currently the most preeminent global Jihadist group in the whole world CITATION Cul131 \l 1033 (Cullingworth, 2013). ISIS is considered different from other terror groups because of the aspect that they are majorly based in Eastern countries, and they have most sophisticated terror techniques that they use in making their terror attacks more effective. Goal of ISIS is to consolidate and control over its diverse holdings in Iraq and Syria as a demonstration that it can run a state with hefty cities and towns not only to occupy deserts or mountain holdouts.
Al-Shabaab in Somalia
Al-Shabaab is considered to be an Islamic militant group that usually seeks to create an Islamic State in Somali. The terror group was formed in 2004 as an armed wing of the Islamic Court Union that is a network of Islamic tribes that controlled central and southern Somalia CITATION Van121 \l 1033 (Van Linschoten, 2012). The group is different because based in Africa and they attack only Christians in neighboring countries. Al-Shabaab is considered to be the establishment of an Islamic state in Somalia that is based on Islamic law and its main objective is the elimination of foreign infidel influence in Somalia. Al-Shabaab are more of the Al-Qaeda than ISIS because the leaders from both groups are radical Islamists while their soldiers are the opportunistic who are the young women and men who are desperately seeking for jobs and hoping for a bright future.
Question 2
Read, "National Strategy for Counterterrorism (2011)," and, in your own words, discuss the priorities outlined within the strategy. Do you think they are still relevant? Explain your answer in detail.
Answer
National Strategy for Counterterrorism
National Strategy for Counterterrorism articulates on the government approaches to countering the terrorism and also identifies the range of tools that are critical to the diverse success of the employed strategies CITATION Oba11 \l 1033 (Obama, 2011). The priorities outlined within the strategy is relevant because they typically assist the government in countering terrors and also assist in identifying terror activities much earlier before execution CITATION Alp11 \l 1033 (Alpár, 2011). National Strategy for Counterterrorism is considered vital for any country because they provide diverse strategies that can be used to counter the terrorists related issues all over the world. The strategies usually sets out the overarching goals and the steps that are usually vital so as to attain them because they includes specific areas of focus that are tailored to the domains, regions and the groups that are most vital to attaining the presidents of dismantling, disruption and defeating Al Qaeda and its other affiliates as they protect the life’s of American people.
Question 3
Read, "Counter-terrorism: Going dark," The Economist (2015), and in your own words, discuss the issue of liberty verses security. Has the threat of terrorism in the United Sta...