system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Muslim Terrorist groups - what's the difference between ISIS, Taliban, Al Qaeda etc?
gpt
Taliban - Tribal alliance from Afghanistan. They want control of Afghanistan/Pakistan, as that is the territory they are present in.

ISIS/ISIL - Product of the Syrian Civil war, their organization is attempting to create a unified Islamic state throughout the Region they are present in.

Al Qaeda - International organization without (apparent) statehood aspirations. Their professed motivation is the removal of non-Muslims from the mid-east, including, but not limited to, US and Israeli citizens/military.

As to why they are different, they are different in a similar way to how Coke and Pepsi are different. They have different leadership structures that to not answer to a connected chain-of-command or state.