Who Funds the Endless War on Terror?
What's actually happening: THE ACTORS: The ABC News report identifies the Islamic State's Khorasan Province (ISKP) as claiming responsibility. Other key actors in this prolonged conflict include the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies (ISI), various regional militant groups with fluid loyalties, and international players like the United States, whose counter-terrorism policies have often
been criticized for their unintended consequences. THE FUNDING: The financing of groups like ISKP is notoriously opaque, but historical patterns reveal a multi-faceted approach. While some funds come from illicit activities like extortion, kidnapping, and drug trafficking, significant concerns have long been raised about state and non-state actors indirectly or directly supporting such groups. For
instance, a 2014 exposé by the Financial Times noted that IS (the parent organization) leveraged donations from wealthy individuals in Gulf states, often under the guise of charity. Furthermore, captured documents and investigations, such as those by the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, have detailed how IS and its affiliates exploit local populations for taxes and resources, creating a
self-sustaining, albeit brutal, economy. The reported global assets of ISIS in 2015 were estimated at $2 billion, demonstrating a sophisticated financial infrastructure well beyond petty crime. THE INCENTIVES: For ISKP, the incentive is to destabilize governments and expand its extremist ideology. For other actors, the motivations are more complex. Some regional powers may view certain militant