Most other jihadi groups have sided with either al Qaeda or ISIS since their own discord in 2013-2014. Although its predecessor was once aligned with al Qaeda until 2016/2017, HTS has since become more independent within the jihadosphere. In contrast, HTS has focused mainly on local jihadism and backing a civilian polity in northwest Syria. Al Qaeda’s goal is to convert people to gradually build a global caliphate but controlling territory has not been a priority in its short-term strategy. ISIS’s primary goal has been to capture and govern territory. They also split over the right conditions to create an Islamic state. The two differed on religious interpretations, such as when a Muslim can be considered an apostate, or takfir – and what punishment or excommunication was justified. Al Qaeda and ISIS are still engaged in global jihadism, regional military campaigns, and local politics. The movement had three main poles: al Qaeda and its branches from Afghanistan to West Africa the Islamic State (ISIS) and its external provinces from North Africa to South Asia to East Asia, and Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), mainly in northern Syria.
In early 2021, the jihadi movement was the most splintered it had been since prior to 9/11 when al Qaeda was one among many jihadi groups. Careers, Fellowships, and Internships Open/Close.Science and Technology Innovation Program.The Middle East and North Africa Workforce Development Initiative.Kissinger Institute on China and the United States.Nuclear Proliferation International History Project.North Korea International Documentation Project.Environmental Change and Security Program.Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy.