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Abstract
Terrorism — led by radical Islamic groups such as the Islamic State, al Qaeda, the Taliban, Boko Haram and others — is on the rise, with annual terrorism-related deaths up nearly tenfold since 2000. In recent months the United States and its allies in Iraq and Syria, aided by a small but growing number of U.S. Special Operations Forces, have made military gains against the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. Keeping nuclear materials away from terrorists also is an international priority, with 50 nations agreeing in April to improve nuclear security. In the United States, a shooter who killed 49 people in an Orlando, Fla., nightclub on June 12 pledged allegiance to ISIS, but authorities have found no evidence that a foreign terror group was involved in the attack.