The new National Strategy for Counterterrorism released by the White House in Washington has identified two Pakistan-based terrorist groups — Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — along with Boko Haram as a potential threat to the United States.
In addition to ISIS and al-Qaeda, dozens of other radical Islamist terrorist groups are working to advance more locally focused insurgent or terrorist campaigns, while still posing a threat to United States persons and interests overseas, said the National Strategy for Counter-terrorism, released by the White House on Thursday.
“These groups, including Boko Haram, Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, and Lashkar-e-Taiba, employ a range of political and terrorist tactics to undermine local governments and conduct attacks,” it said.
According to the strategy, these organisations will probably prioritise regional goals over attacks against the homeland or United States interests because of resource constraints or political considerations.
“However, many of these groups are hostile to the United States, maintain networks of sympathizers around the world, and retain ties to ISIS or al-Qa’ida, underscoring their potential threat to United States interests,” said the strategy, according to which radical Islamist terrorists remain the primary transnational terrorist threat to the US and its vital national interests.
Radical Islamist terrorists have a violent extremist ideology that serves to create a common identity and sense of purpose for those susceptible to its core message, it alleged.
“This vile ideology is used to indoctrinate new recruits to accept terrorist groups’ goals and directives without question, and also allows these groups to maintain cohesion, ensure conformity, and justify the use of violence to meet the ideology’s goals.
It avails terrorists of a world view that helps unify their efforts by fomenting conflict and attempts to legitimize terrorism by elevating the social status of group members and absolving individuals from culpability for their participation in violence,” it said.
“Veteran al-Qaeda leaders are working to consolidate and expand the group’s presence in several regions, including in Syria, from which it aspires to launch new attacks against the United States and our allies,” said the strategy.
