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Jihad is obligatory for the Muslims.

Jihad expands Islam's domain by any means available.

There's no question that jihad historically means war.

Afghanistan is where much of the al Qaeda journey began. It is the main site where Osama bin Laden, Mullah Omar and their cohort rose to prominence fighting the Soviets in the 1980s. Afghan territory holds special significance to the group, which is committed to retaking it and re-establishing it as the base of a global movement.

The war on terror is the war in Afghanistan.

Al Qaeda's vision of global jihad doesn't resonate in the rugged highlands and windswept deserts of southern Afghanistan. Instead, the major concern throughout much of the country is intensely local: personal safety.

American jihadists are generally motivated by a mix of factors, including dislike of U.S. foreign policy in the Muslim world.

Many American Muslims are peaceful and define jihad primarily as an internal struggle to improve.

For many foreign fighters, the jihad in Iraq and Syria is a commuter war.