1. Bankrupt Terrorist Groups in Middle East

2. Middle East terrorist group list
Name
Region
Location 1
Abu Nidal Organization (ANO)
Middle East
Palestinian Territories 11
Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades 2
Hamas (Islamic Resistance Movement) 12
Asbat an-Ansar
Lebanon 3
Hezbollah (Party of God) 13
Al-Qaeda Kurdish Battalions
Iraq 4
Kahane Chai
Israel 14
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (formerly Al-Qaeda in Iraq aka Tanzim Qa'idat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn (QJBR))
Worldwide
Iraq Syria Libya Nigeria 5
Kongra-Gel (formerly Kurdistan Workers' Party) (KGK)
Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria 15
Kata'ib Hezbollah 6
Palestine Liberation Front (PLF) 16
al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
Saudi Arabia 7
Islamic Jihad Group 17
Army of Islam (Palestinian)[10] 8
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) 18
Abdullah Azzam Brigades 9
PFLP-General Command (PFLP-GC) 19
Al-Nusra Front
Syria 10
al-Qa’ida
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia 20
Jaysh Rijal al-Tariq al Naqshabandi (JRTN)

3. 6 ways to fund their operations1 2
Selling antiques and artifacts 3 4 5 6
Scamming banks
Donations
Ransoms
Oil
Taxation
Fraud
Illegal access to bank accounts and loans
Trade and smuggle antiques looted
From countries
From local communities/charities
From individual supporter
Increased kidnappings across the world
Continued occupy over oil reserves
Exportation and trade
Taxation over controlled territories

4. Islamic Jihad Group
A Palestinian Islamist terror organization formed in 1981
Objective is the destruction of the State of Israel and the establishment of a sovereign, Islamic Palestinian state
Control dozens of religious organizations in the Palestinian territories that are registered as NGOs
Operates mosques, schools, and medical facilities that offer free services

5. Islamic Jihad Group finances its operations through funding from neighboring countries
Increased backing of funds from Iran
financial backing is believed to also come from Syria

6. Al-Qaeda – Brief Background
Sunni Islamist multi-national organization
Located in Afghanistan and Pakistan but have cells around the world
Founded in 1988 by Osama bin Laden
Suicide attacks, simultaneous bombing of different targets
Goal – a complete break from foreign influences in Muslim countries and creation of new Caliphate
Management – “centralization of decision and decentralization of execution”

7. How Al Qaeda is funded Ordinary Crime
Before the 9/11 attacks, the group amounted to $30 million annually
Tough to estimate their amount now because it works through smaller terror groups and cell
Associated Groups / Businesses / Wealthy Individuals
Strategize to infiltrate employees in charities to divert money away from legitimate humanitarian programs
Tough to shut these companies down even in cases where they have been proven of financing terrorism
Because of their international presence, they partake in national and international transactions with limited or no regulation in some countries
The organization is currently in the worst financial state it has been in recent years

8. How Al Qaeda moves their money
Cash couriers (limited amount - $1million in $100 USD bills weighs over 20 pounds)
International Trade – very vulnerable due to size and complexity
New methods in information technology
Use Hawala – a legal trust-based informal banking system that transfers infinite amount of money in a single transaction
System for transferring money traditionally used in the Muslim world
The money is paid to an agent who then instructs a remote associate to pay the final recipient through a transaction code
0.5 – 2.5% charge on each transaction

10. ISIS – A Brief Background
Seeds in the de-Baathification of Iraq’s civil and military services in 2003
Left hundreds of thousands of Sunni Muslims with no jobs (and weapons)
US government established a democratic Shiite government in its wake
al Qaeda decided to capitalize on this anger and establish al Qaeda in Iraq
(AQI)
2007 US Surge in Iraq defeated and pushed out AQI into Syria
2011 The Arab Spring and Uprising against the Syrian Regime
Took advantage of this vacuum and AQI became the first rebel group to capture major cities (Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor)
Renamed itself ISIS and separated entirely from al Qaeda
2014 Captured Mosul in Iraq and expanded its reign into both countries

11. How is Isis Funded?
David Cohen, the Treasury Department's Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, described the Islamic State last October as "probably the best-funded terrorist organization we have confronted."  $2 Billion in Assets
 At first ISIS was seed funding from wealthy individuals and charities across the Middle East
Now, the Islamic State has used its control over a territory that is roughly the size of the U.K. and home to millions of people to develop diversified revenue channels
proceeds from the occupation of territory (including control of banks, oil and gas reservoirs, taxation, extortion, and robbery of economic assets)
kidnapping for ransom[1]
material support provided by foreign fighters
Illegal Drug trade (roughly 1 billion annually)
fundraising through social media[

12. What can we do as Business Professionals?
Increased backing of funds from Iran