The competition between Al Qaeda and the Islamic State

Abstract

Present-day jihadism is led by two groups that attract international
attention: Al Qaeda and the Islamic State. This article focuses on demonstrating that, despite their different strategic approaches, the survival of both is based on jihadist ideology. For this purpose, an analysis
of the key aspects of these groups is presented: the leaders, the ideological principles, the concept of territory, the franchises, the attacks and
the recruitment model. While Al Qaeda bases its resilience on a more
moderate network model, the Islamic state adopts a more territorial
approach that is attractive because of its radical nature.