ISIS' all-female al-Khansaa brigade, a morality police, ensures women in the caliphate adhere to Islamic norms. Photo Credit: The Strait Times. By: Alicia Chavy, Columnist In December, the U.S. announced that it would withdraw its troops from Syria, to which Syrian rebel groups responded by threatening to release thousands of captured Western European and American … Continue reading Don’t Discount the Threat Posed by Female Foreign Fighters
Author: Alicia Chavy
Weaponizing Gender Violence in South Sudan
February 11, 2017, A soldier walks past women carrying their belongings near Benitu, northern South Sudan. Photo Credit: Reuters/Siegfried Modola By: Alicia Chavy, Columnist In South Sudan, legacies of violence against women, a weak state structure, and lack of security guarantees on an individual level are severely undermining the prospects of a peaceful conflict resolution. … Continue reading Weaponizing Gender Violence in South Sudan
Countering Terrorism Online: Can New Public-Private Approaches Turn the Tide?
Anwar al-Awlaki. Photo Credit: New York Times By: Alicia Chavy, Columnist A YouTube search for “Anwar al-Awlaki” returns 40,000 hits.[i] The poster child for the use of the internet to radicalize others online, Awlaki was a master of creating propaganda materials targeted at Western Muslims. By making jihadist materials available in English, Anwar al-Awlaki and … Continue reading Countering Terrorism Online: Can New Public-Private Approaches Turn the Tide?
Nigeria’s Misguided Militaristic Strategy Against Boko Haram
By: Alicia Chavy, Columnist Photo Credit: Reuters Despite suffering recent losses of territorial control and military defeats, the Boko Haram threat is far from gone.[i] Since 2015, the Nigerian government has continued to tell its people and the world that the insurgency is under control, while brazen and highly deadly attacks continue to take place … Continue reading Nigeria’s Misguided Militaristic Strategy Against Boko Haram
The Future of Stability Operations: Can the U.S. Do Better?
By: Alicia Chavy, Columnist Photo credit: Ian Leones, U.S. Marine Corps Over the past two decades, the U.S. has led or participated in an array of civilian and military efforts in unstable and conflict-ridden nations around the world, to rectify human rights abuses, restore peace, security, governance, and stability. The U.S. has been officially involved … Continue reading The Future of Stability Operations: Can the U.S. Do Better?
France and ISIS: Moving Forward
By: Alicia Chavy, Columnist Photo by: Reuters Between 2015 and 2017, France has experienced an array of devastating terrorist attacks carried out by Islamic State (IS) fighters or supporters. The November 2015 attack executed by eight IS militants in Paris that left 130 dead was a watershed event for France’s counterterrorism policies. The country realized … Continue reading France and ISIS: Moving Forward
Rising Security Threats Hinder G5 Forces’ Effectiveness in Mali and the Sahel
French President Emmanuel Macron (C) and Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (2-R) review troops during a visit to France's Barkhane counter-terrorism operation in Africa's Sahel region in Gao, northern Mali, on May 19, 2017. French President's visit in Mali is his first trip outside Europe since his inauguration on May 14, 2017. / AFP PHOTO … Continue reading Rising Security Threats Hinder G5 Forces’ Effectiveness in Mali and the Sahel
Amid Recent Terrorist Attacks, US and NATO-led Efforts In Afghanistan Must Persist
By: Alicia Chavy, Columnist Photo by: http://www.pbs.org With the recent terrorist attacks in Kabul hope for political reconciliation has diminished greatly. The Taliban and the Islamic State’s increasing focus on highly visible targets in densely populated areas signals a change in strategy from rural campaigns to urban ones. This hinders the U.S., NATO, and Afghan … Continue reading Amid Recent Terrorist Attacks, US and NATO-led Efforts In Afghanistan Must Persist
Indonesia’s War on Terror is Far from Over
By: Alicia Chavy, Columnist Photo by: islamedianalysis.info Amid recent concerns about the terrorist attacks in 2016 and the spread of extremism, Indonesian President Joko Widodo ramped up security measures in Indonesia. Yet, despite Indonesia’s success countering extremism and thwarting terrorist threats over the past two decades, the return of foreign jihadists and homegrown radicalization pose … Continue reading Indonesia’s War on Terror is Far from Over
The Implications of France’s New Anti-Terror Law
By: Alicia Chavy, Columnist Photo Credit: CNBC On October 31, France ended its two-year-long state of emergency, and passed a controversial anti-terror law allowing some of the emergency measures to remain in place. For instance, the new law permanently allows French authorities to conduct home searches and place suspected terrorists under house arrest with limited … Continue reading The Implications of France’s New Anti-Terror Law