The United States, along with coalition members, recently launched a series of air strikes
against terrorist groups in Syria.
Most of these strikes were against ISIS.
But the US also targeted a lesser known terrorist organization called The Khorasan Group.
So, who are they and why were they targeted?
The Khorasan Group is a radical Islamist terrorist organization that may be only about 50 members
strong.
They are made up of what the Defense Department calls “seasoned al-Qaida veterans” mostly
from Afghanistan and Pakistan and are now based in Northwest Syria.
It is reported that they have linked up with an al-Qaida group from Yemen known for their
bomb making abilities.
In fact, the group, has placed bombs on US-bound airplanes three separate times, though none
were successfully detonated.
Their suspected leader of the Khorasan group is a man named Muhsin al-Fadhli, who was officially
designated as a terrorist by Saudi Arabia and the US in 2005.
He is a Kuwait born al-Qaida operative who was close enough to Osama bin Laden to be
trusted with knowledge of the September 11th attacks during the planning stage.
He has been linked to attacks on US Marines on Faylaka Island and the bombing of a French
ship.
The U.S. State Department has put up a $7 million reward for information leading to
his capture.
He is an experienced fighter, fundraiser and organizer.
He may also be dead.
The Pentagon is currently investigating reports that al-Fadhli may have been killed in the
recent strikes on Syria.
So, what does The Khorasan Group want?
Well, unlike ISIS whose primary goal is gaining land inside of Iraq and Syria, the Khorasan
Group’s goal is to attack Western countries on Western soil.
It is reported that they want to recruit Westerners through social media, train them in Syria,
then send them back home to carry out attacks.
The idea being that Westerners with valid passports would have an easier time entering
their home countries.
The recent increase in security at airports and the new airport ban on uncharged cell
phones on certain US-bound flights are directly linked to the Khorasan Group.
One intelligence source told CNN that they have even been experimenting with bombs that
could evade airport security, such as clothing dipped in explosive materials.
One Lieutenant General said that the Khorasan Group was “nearing the execution phase”
of an attack on a Western country which is why the United States felt they had to attack
immediately.
The reason why you hadn’t heard about the Khorasan Group earlier is that the US wanted
to keep this planned attack a secret for as long as they possibly could.
And their plan seems to have worked.
The targeted bombings have disabled many of the group’s facilities, and may have even
killed their leader.
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