Violent extremist groups have gained footholds in 19 countries across the Middle East, the Horn of Africa and the Sahel, a region along the Sahara Desert stretching across North Africa. They target fragile states, where poor governance and failed economies leave large segments of society disaffected and susceptible to extremist influence.

These groups seize territory to set up bases for future operations and introduce a new political order. They build governing structures to impose their intolerant, totalitarian rule and try to show that they can govern better than existing states. Extremist groups have governed territory in 10 countries; the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and Syria was only the most visible example.

From these enclaves, extremist groups attract fresh recruits, inspire homegrown terrorist attacks around the world, including the United States, and spread instability across already volatile regions. They have drawn us into an expanding fight against terrorism, at a cost $5.6 trillion since 9/11, with no end in sight. We provide security assistance to nearly every country in the Middle East, the Horn of Africa and the Sahel and have deployed special operations forces to more than half since January 2017.