International Journal on Criminology Volume 7, Number 2, Spring 2020 | Page 38

Why Salafi-Jihadist Terrorist Groups Pledge Allegiance to Al Qaeda or Isis
Given the root causes of terrorism in conflict zones and the ongoing political
and economic grievances in Islamic countries, it would not be outlandish
to predict that jihadist groups will sustain their presence and popularity in many
regions of the world and that they will continue to lean toward AQ or ISIS when
they feel any threat to their existence. This paper presents some evidence that having
survived several military campaigns waged by the most powerful countries in
the world since the early 2000s, both AQ and ISIS have proved their resilience and
therefore remain attractive and powerful shelters for smaller jihadist organizations
that face organizational problems at the existential level. In the last couple of years,
several local terrorist organizations have pledged allegiance to AQ or ISIS to overcome
the detrimental effects of disruptive events and ensure their survival. This
finding is a working hypothesis that needs to be supported with empirical data
from future research.
29