A Taliban fighter holds a poster of Jalaluddin Haqqani, the founder of the Haqqani Network. Image Source: The National, US. There is little contention over the fact that Al-Qaeda’s attack on U.S. soil in September 2001 tops the list of the deadliest terrorist attacks in history. However, despite the group’s deadly reputation that spurred decades … Continue reading A Network of Possibilities: How the Haqqani Network Changed the Face of Global Terrorism Forever
Category: Terrorism & Transnational Threats
Raids, Rockets, and Riots: The Accelerating Cycle of Violence in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Image Source: BBC On April 5, violence broke out between local Israeli police and Palestinians at al-Aqsa mosque in the Old City of East Jerusalem, resulting in at least 12 Palestinians injured and at least 400 arrested. Every year tensions between Palestinians and Israeli citizens as well as Israeli security forces flare up during the … Continue reading Raids, Rockets, and Riots: The Accelerating Cycle of Violence in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Globalized Crises: The War in Ukraine and COVID-19’s Impact on Al-Shabaab Recruitment
Mogadishu, Somalia. Image Source: Reuters via The Guardian East Africa is a terrorist hotbed—surpassing the Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa for the most terrorist deaths in 2022. Sixty percent of the global terrorist attacks in this region occur because of the many Salafi-Jihadist terrorist groups. Al-Shabaab, the second deadliest group of 2022, operates … Continue reading Globalized Crises: The War in Ukraine and COVID-19’s Impact on Al-Shabaab Recruitment
Merci Beaucoup: How Terrorist Organizations Will Benefit from the Recent Military Coup in Burkina Faso
Image Source: Institute for Security Studies The recent military coup in Burkina Faso indicates a deepening governance and security crisis in the Sahel that threatens to impede regional and international counterterrorism efforts and destabilize an ever-widening geographic area as jihadists exploit instability to expand their spheres of influence. The insecurity and violence associated with Salafi-jihadi … Continue reading Merci Beaucoup: How Terrorist Organizations Will Benefit from the Recent Military Coup in Burkina Faso
Maritime piracy is on the decline… Can it stay that way?
Photo Credit: Dryad Global: Maritime Security and Risk Intelligence; London, England. Published in The Guardian. While many associate modern day maritime piracy with the Academy Award nominated film Captain Phillips, this transnational threat is a persistent reality for many ships across the globe. There are typically two overarching goals of maritime piracy: robbery to then … Continue reading Maritime piracy is on the decline… Can it stay that way?
A Lie will Travel Faster: Election Disinformation and the Threat to Democracies
Photo Credit: WBUR Former U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull once stated that “[A] lie will gallop halfway round the world before the truth has time to pull its breeches on.” In many ways, his statement rings even more true today. Lies spread even faster with the availability of the internet. Not only do they … Continue reading A Lie will Travel Faster: Election Disinformation and the Threat to Democracies
The Correlation Between Terrorism and U.S. Embassy Security Funding
The State Department's Annual Congressional Budget for Embassy Security, Construction, and Maintenance, 1998-2023. Data from the U.S. State Department's Annual Congressional Budget Justification for its Foreign Operations and Related Programs. The U.S. is not immune to the threat of acts of terrorism in retaliation for American actions abroad. The case for secure facilities from these … Continue reading The Correlation Between Terrorism and U.S. Embassy Security Funding
Is it time for the UN to help Malians talk to JNIM?
MINUSMA Transport Company Delivers Water to Airport Guards. Photo Credit: United Nations In late January 2022, France announced it would “reevaluate” the future of its counterterrorism operations in Mali. This came after France had already downsized Operation Barkhane, and closed bases in Timbuktu, Kidal, and Tessalit. Operation Barkhane led by the French since 2014 aimed … Continue reading Is it time for the UN to help Malians talk to JNIM?
Taking My Dream to the Grave: Afghan Women Under Taliban Rule
Photo Credit: Human Rights Watch Farzana Ahmadi had dreamed of holding a government office after graduating university. Now, she says, she will take her dream to the grave. When the United States military left Afghanistan on August 31, 2021, the U.S. had in place a peace deal with the Taliban. The problem, however, is that … Continue reading Taking My Dream to the Grave: Afghan Women Under Taliban Rule
Lest We Ever Forget
Photo Credit: Shutterstock Russia’s war in Ukraine not only victimizes Ukrainians but also negatively impacts minorities throughout the world. By encompassing almost all of the United State’s public, political, and media attention, Putin’s war is revictimizing groups like the Uighurs, the Rohingya, the Yezidis, and many other minority groups who continue to suffer unjustly at … Continue reading Lest We Ever Forget