There are many terrorist groups present in the world today. Everyone has their own focus and goal. One of the most well-known and deadly terrorist groups today is the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). Another well-known terrorist group is Al Qaeda. Their tactics and motivations are far beyond our understanding. Anyone who has seen or heard the news knows about these two groups, but what is not known is where they come from or what their intentions are. Both groups, however, share similarities and differences that help define them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayTo understand where ISIS and Al Qaeda come from, we must first understand what defines a group of people as a terrorist group and where they come from. Not many people know what makes a person with extreme political views want to take part in terrorism. From the textbook Understanding the Political World, it states that “the U.S. Department of State defines terrorism as premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents (Pearson 327).” In other words, terrorism is a violent act by an individual or group based on political motivations. Bombs can be placed in public areas; mass shootings can occur; deadly chemicals can be placed in anything; attacks on government buildings. Terrorism can occur anywhere at any time, and the rate of occurrence changes constantly 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 (U.S. Department of State 2014). Most of these attacks came from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq. While not many know why terrorist groups target noncombatants, there are five theories that help explain and guide the acts, as stated in the textbook of the political world. First, terrorists may target their own state or another because of injustices, despite civilian injuries. Second, terrorists can target domestic groups. Third, terrorists may act to gain international publicity and to prove their claims to the world. Fourth, financial security or the release of imprisoned members can also be a motive of terrorist groups. Fifth and finally: terrorist groups can act to promote revolutionary thoughts. All of these are theories based on political scientists looking for answers. Al Qaeda is a militant Sunni Islamic group founded by Osama bin Laden and Abdullah Azzam in 1988. Al Qaeda began after Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan and fought against the eventually repelled Soviet troops and Osama bin Laden met with his associates to keep his new terrorist group alive. Bin Laden's goal was to recruit Muslims from all over 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 lay the foundations of jihad against the West. Al Qaeda's most devastating attack on the United States dates back to September 11, 2001, when four planes were hijacked; two of them flew and crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon in Washington, and the last into a field in Pennsylvania. After the attacks, the United States military responded to eliminate Al Qaeda and on May 2, 2011, Osama waswas 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 remove Americans and their culture from Muslim nations; destroy Israel and strengthen the rise of Islam; and establish an Islamic nation from the rule of the first Caliphs. Osama bin Laden argued that apostates from the Islamic faith had a duty to take part in the holy war against the Americans. To achieve these objectives, Al Qaeda has used several tactics: car bombings, roadside bombings, hijackings and other tactics. One of the group's biggest tactics is multiple attacks at once to increase the fear level of civilians and maximize damage in an area. ISIS is originally a branch of Al Qaeda and in 2004 Abu Musab al Zarqawi founded Al Qaeda in Iraq: the beginning of ISIS. When Zarqawi was killed in an American airstrike, al Masri took command and renamed the group the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). As opinions changed from those of Al Qaeda, the ISI distanced itself from the parent group and took 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 conquer Syria and Iraq and now move into other countries in the Middle East. ISIS has its own tactics to take control of countries. Their tactics include posting gruesome videos in which they torture those who do not believe in the Islamic faith. These videos include the execution of many Muslims and Americans caught in the terrible hands of ISIS terrorists. ISIS uses one of the theories of international advertising to show its power to the world. “The Islamic State uses mass executions, public beheadings, rapes and symbolic crucifixions to terrorize the population into submission and “purify” the community, while at the same time providing basic services (Byman).” To ensure that Syria becomes an Islamic state, ISIS has positioned itself as the government, imposing taxes, limits on education and many other social aspects. As a result of these actions, ISIS has become the deadliest terrorist group in the world. It is far more brutal and harsh than Al Qaeda and has gained negative attention around the world. Although these two terrorist groups are different in many ways, they share many similarities. Both of these groups share the same Wahhabi ideology. This ideology focuses on returning the Middle East to the primitive Islam of the Koran and is implemented by strict Sunni Muslims. Beyond ideology, both groups are internationalists. These groups have strong political views based on socialism and liberalism; wanting both economic and social freedom and establishing a single religion for all to follow. Because these groups stem from each other, ISIS and Al Qaeda target and kill non-believing Muslims and are youth-oriented in gaining followers. With new technologies in today's world, it is easier for terrorist groups to publish horrific propaganda videos or actions in order to express their point of view and gain followers. The last main point that these two groups share is when and why they came into being. The inception of Al Qaeda and soon the creation of ISIS began when allied countries sought to “control Islamic violence and terrorism from Afghanistan to Syria (AbuKhalil).” In contrast to the similarities between ISIS and Al Qaeda, these groups have many differences that help distinguish them. One main difference between the two is who they attacked. Al Qaeda attacked the United States while ISIS only attacked neighboring countries. Although ISIS had.