The United Nations Security Council is convening a special evening session today, Monday – in United States time – to review the implementation of UN resolutions numbers 1267, 1989, and 2253. These resolutions relate to the punitive measures against the ISIS and Al-Qaeda terrorist organizations. The council will review a report by the sanctions monitoring committee on both groups.
Additionally, on the upcoming Wednesday, the Council will hold a special session to review the work of the committee formed under UN resolution number 1540 of 2004. This committee focuses on preventing non-state actors from accessing weapons of mass destruction and combating the possession of any forms of such destructive weapons—chemical, biological, or nuclear—by armed organizations worldwide in 2024.
The following day, Thursday, the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee will present its action plan for 2024 to the Security Council in a special session. This committee was formed under UN resolution number 1373.
Furthermore, the UN committee monitoring sanctions on Afghanistan will hold an “informal” meeting next Friday. During this meeting, they will listen to a report by the head of the UN mission in Afghanistan on the committee’s activities and programs for 2024. It is important to note that this committee was established and operates under UN resolution number 1988.
Al Qaeda and ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) are both known for their violent extremist ideologies, but they differ in their origins, strategies, and objectives.
Al Qaeda emerged in the late 1980s from networks of jihadist fighters in Afghanistan who were battling the Soviet invasion. It was founded by Osama bin Laden with the long-term goal of establishing a caliphate, but its strategy primarily focused on high-profile attacks against Western targets. Al Qaeda evolved into a vast network of formal affiliates and informal allies, including Al Qaeda in Iraq, which later became ISIS.
ISIS, on the other hand, emerged from the remnants of Al Qaeda in Iraq but severed ties with Al Qaeda in 2014. Unlike Al Qaeda, ISIS actively sought to conquer and rule territory, conducting brutal sectarian attacks. In June 2014, ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi proclaimed the formation of a caliphate stretching across parts of Iraq and Syria. This move represented a significant divergence from Al Qaeda’s strategy and led to a formal split between the two groups.
Both groups have global reach with affiliates across Asia and Africa. However, they have been rivals, battling for dominance within the global jihadist movement. Despite these differences, the groups have maintained a significant influence on global terrorism.
