Articles on Terrorist groups

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Venezuelan immigrants, whom the Trump White House says are members of the Tren de Aragua gang, arrive in El Salvador on March 31, 2025. El Salvador Press Presidency Office/Anadolu via Getty Images

The Trump administration says Tren de Aragua is a terrorist group – but it’s really a transnational criminal organization. Here’s why the label matters.

While foreign terrorist organizations typically have a political or religious ideology, transnational criminal organizations are driven by profit.
Yazidi women in Iraq mourn the victims of Islamic State group attacks. Ismael Adnan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Terrorist groups respond to verbal attacks and slights by governments with more violence against civilians

When governments denounce terrorist attacks, backlash follows – typically within a few days, research found.
In early 2021, some Taliban fighters surrendered their weapons to support peace talks with the Afghan government. Today the Islamic extremist group is battling government forces to control the country. Xinhua/Emran Waak via Getty Images

Afghanistan after the US withdrawal: The Taliban speak more moderately but their extremist rule hasn’t evolved in 20 years

Two decades have passed since the US invasion of Afghanistan toppled the Taliban’s Islamic extremist regime. Despite efforts to update its image, the group still holds hard-line views.

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