The “New” Islamic State, Earthquakes at the San Andreas Fault, and the Open Generation

The Islamic State Has Regrouped in Somalia

One of the defining features of the Middle East has been the rise of Islamic extremism, with groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS exploiting power vacuums and instability to gain influence. They tend to capitalize on failing governments and the grievances of marginalized populations to gain power.

Fears about ISIS had been on the decline. The U.S. ended its stronghold in Syria in 2019, and the deaths of leaders like Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi that year and his two successors in 2022 disrupted the group’s operational capabilities. ISIS floundered, but despite counterterrorism efforts by the U.S. and allies, it never fully disappeared. After all, the deadly terror attack in New Orleans in January of this year was connected to ISIS.