We can wish it away all we want, but this form of violence will continue globally, most frequently at the hands of jihadis.

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Humans have an unfortunate habit of thinking that all phenomena have a neat beginning, middle and end. This is true for some things — the NHL season for example — but not for others. Terrorism is a good example.

Yes, some terrorist groups come and go — who today remembers the Weather Underground Organization? — others have extraordinary perseverance. Even those that do disappear are often part of a greater ideology that morphs and shifts, still very capable of carrying out devastating attacks.

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Take Islamic State (ISIL). It was originally known as Al-Qaida in Iraq and formed after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in the early 2000s. After a few name changes it ended up as ISIS/ISIL — the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria — and became one of the most heinous jihadi groups the world........

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