ABSTRACT
The deaths of Osama bin Laden, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and Qasem Soleimani did not eliminate the threat of international terrorism or extremism faced by the United States or our allies. Violence by non-nation actors and nation-states has, unfortunately, become commonplace. Regional violence destabilizes areas of a nation, and significant violence can spread, destabilizing multinational regions. The Federal Bureau of Investigation defines terrorism as “the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a Government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.” The strategy a terrorist will use and the target they select depend on their capability, support, and desired end outcome. Political assassinations have occurred throughout world history and have been a tactic used by terrorist organizations. The Assassins were a sect within Shi’a Islam during the eleventh to thirteenth centuries.
