Worldwide Threats

The current international environment is more complex and dangerous than at any time in recent memory. ISIL continues to dominate much of Syria and Iraq while spreading its dark and vicious ideology in its effort to become the dominant Islamic extremist group in the world. At the same time, the risk of attacks by foreign fighters returning from the battlefield, or lone-wolf threats inspired by ISIL's successes, only increases the danger to the West. Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Africa, al Qaeda and its affiliated groups continue to take advantage of ungoverned spaces to plan attacks against the United States and Western interests. As we continue the fight against Islamic extremists, we must not lose sight of the other strategic threats we face. As the world ponders how to respond to Russia's invasion and dismemberment of Eastern Ukraine, Russia's provocations are only more worrisome in light of Vladimir Putin's intense focus on building up and modernizing Russia's military forces. In Asia, stability and security of a vital and economically significant region is threatened by North Korea's continued aggression, buildup of its nuclear arsenal, and development of long-range ballistic missiles. The far greater challenge is China's dramatic growth and modernization of its own military capabilities, which appear designed to restrict the United States military's ability to operate in the western Pacific.