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Money is what fuels any organization, whether its purpose is building homes, selling goods – or conducting horrific violent acts. A terror organization, just like any legitimate business, needs capital to survive. Quick cash is used to finance general activities, pay salaries....
for activists, develop training camps, purchase weapons and destructive materials, and provide transportation and much more.
But unlike legitimate businesses, terror enterprises cannot rely on loans or issuing stocks or bonds to fund their activities. Instead, they shift their financial efforts to underground operations, above and around the financial laws of the economic world.
Here is a list of some of the world’s wealthiest – and most dangerous – terrorist organizations and how they make their money. The list was created by Forbes Israel based on interviews with security experts and counter-terror specialists, as well as reports and analysis from international NGOs, academic and government organizations, and think-tanks. It brings to light estimated numbers behind the top ten wealthiest terrorist organizations from the State Department list of Designated Foreign Terrorist organizations.
1.ISIS - Annual Turnover $2 Billion
ISIS is the richest terror organization the world has known. Its annual turnover amounts to around $2 billion, and some analyst estimate the number to be $3 billion.
Main funding sources: oil trade, kidnapping and ransom, collection of protection and taxes, bank robberies and looting.Goal: the establishment of Islamic State of Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine, the Muslim holy war against the infidels, Crusaders (i.e. Christians) and the Jews
Photo: Damaged cars left after car bombs attacks by ISIS jihadists against Kurdish fighters on November 29, 2014 near Mursitpinar crossing gate between Syria and Turkey. Kurdish fighters have been locked since September 16, 2014 in a death struggle with ISIS fighters for the Kurdish Syrian town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, across the border/AFP
2. HAMAS - Annual Turnover $1 Billion
Region: West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Main funding sources: taxes and fees, financial aid and donations (especially Qatar).
Purpose: militant struggle against the state of Israel and the establishment of a Palestinian Islamic state from the sea to the Jordan River
Phtoto: Members of Palestinian Hamas security forces participate in their graduation ceremony at the fisherman's port in Gaza City, in the northern Gaza Strip, (AP Photo/Adel Hana)
3. FARC - Annual Turnover $600 Million
FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia), is an underground Marxist and anti-imperialist activist group and a key player in the bloody struggle that’s ravaged Columbia for more than 50 years.
Region: Colombia.
Main funding sources: drug production and drug trafficking, kidnapping and ransom, mining of minerals (especially gold), fees and taxes.
Purpose: elimination of the capitalist regime and the establishment of a Marxist-socialist welfare
Photo: The Commander of the FARC-EP leftist guerrillas Ivan Marquez reads a statement at the peace talks with the Colombian government, on August 22, 2014. / AFP PHOTO/YAMIL LAGE
4. Hezbollah - Annual Turnover $500 Million
Main sources of income: financial assistance and donations (especially Iran), production and trafficking of drugs
Purpose: militant struggle against the state of Israel and establishing an Islamic state in Lebanon
Established as a militant group fighting for the Shiite population in Lebanon and against Israel, Hezbollah, like Hamas, has a strong political arm that became one of the major powers in Lebanon. Hezbollah has a network of nursing institutes, which provides relief, welfare, education and livelihood to large segments of the Shiite population in need.
Photo: Members of Lebanon's militant Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah stand on a pick-up truck mounted with a multiple rocket launcher as they take part in a parade in the southern city of Nabatiyeh on November 7, 2014 / AFP PHOTO / MAHMOUD ZAYYAT
5. Taliban - Annual Turnover $400 Million
The Taliban is a militant political movement that ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 and applied the rule of Sunni Islamic Sharia law.
Main funding sources: drug trafficking (mainly production of opium and heroin), sponsorship fees and taxes, financial assistance and donations.
Goal: the establishment of an Islamic theocracy in Afghanistan
Photo: The site of a suicide bombing targeting a bus of Afghan soldiers in Kabul on December 11, 2014 as part of a recent string of Taliban attacks / AFP PHOTO / SHAH Marai
6. Al-Qaeda - Annual Turnover $150 Million
Al-Qaeda is one of the most lethal terror organizations, and brought about a profound change in the Western's world attitude to Islam.
Main sources of finance: financial assistance and donations, kidnapping, ransom and drug trafficking.
Purpose: global jihad against the Christians and Jews and the formulation of a unified Islamic front against Western-secular forces
Photo: Suspected Al-Qaeda militants stand behind bars during a hearing at a court on December 2, 2014 in the Yemeni capital Sanaa / AFP/ MOHAMMED HUWAIS
7. Lashkar-e-Taiba - Annual Turnover $100 Million
Lashkar-e-Taiba, "army of the righteous" to its followers, is a Pakistani radical Islamic terror group, considered to be one of the dominant groups in Southeast Asia.
Main sources of finance: financial assistance and donations.
Purpose: immediate release of Kashmir India and integration with Pakistani Kashmir under Islamic rule
Photo: Top Lashkar-e-Taiba bomb expert Abdul Karim Tunda being taken to Chief Judicial Magistrate court in connection with 1997 serial bomb blast case on October 10, 2014 in Ghaziabad, India. Tunda, was arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police on August 16 last year from the Indo-Nepal border.
8. Al Shabab - Annual Turnover $70 Million
Al-Shabab is the largest militant organization in Somalia, founded in 2006.
Main funding sources: kidnappings and ransom, illegal trade and pirate activity, sponsorship fees and taxes
Region: Somalia, Kenya, Uganda
Purpose: removal of foreign forces from Somalia and the establishment of an Islamic caliphate.
Photo: A protester's hands are covered in red paint after carrying red-painted crosses, symbolizing the blood of the 28 non-Muslims singled out and killed in the recent attack on a bus in Mandera by Somali militant group Al-Shabab, outside government offices in downtown Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2014 / AP Photo/Ben Curtis
9. Real IRA - Annual Turnover $50 Million
Real IRA is a radical faction of the IRA (Irish Republican Army), established by activists who oppose the peace agreement signed in April 1998. This faction is considered to be the strongest resistance organization operating against the British, and it is defined as a terrorist organization by the EU and the USA.
Main funding sources: smuggling and illegal trade, aid and donations
Region: Northern Ireland, Ireland, United Kingdom
Purpose: Release of Northern Ireland and the creation of a united Irish state, which includes Northern Ireland and Ireland
Photo: A Police Service of Northern Ireland officer secures the area around the CIty of Culture offices in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, after a bomb blast by Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011. Irish Republican, recently being active in the area, are suspected to be behind the explosion.
10. Boko Haram - Annual Turnover $52 Million
Boko Haram means "Western education is a sin". It opposes education according to western values because, as they believe, it contradicts the Islamic faith.
Main funding sources: kidnappings and ransom, fees and taxes, protection, bank robberies and looting
Region: Nigeria, Cameroon
Goal: Fighting secularism and Western influences, overthrow of Christian-secular and the establishment of Islamic law in Nigeria
Photo: Nigerian local hunters 'vigilantes' move to border region between Nigeria and Cameroon to support Nigerian army fighting with Boko Haram militants on December 06, 2014.