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
Category: Terrorism & Transnational Threats
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
Putin’s Hitmen: How Mercenaries Serve the Kremlin at the Expense of Stability
Photo released by the Ukrainian Security Service allegedly depicting Wagner Group mercenaries at an unknown location. Photo Credit: VOA News Volodymyr Zelensky sits in a chair next to the podium as he conducts a press conference, wearing the olive-green military clothing that has now come to symbolize his defiant resolve to fight against the Russian … Continue reading Putin’s Hitmen: How Mercenaries Serve the Kremlin at the Expense of Stability
A Friendly Reminder that Al-Qaeda is Still Strong and Will Likely Become Even Stronger
A fighter from the Al-Nusra Front holds a flag representing the local al-Qaeda branch in Syria. Photo Credit: Rami Al-Sayed, AFP. Prior to and following the withdrawal from Afghanistan, US intelligence and defense officials sounded the alarm regarding al-Qaeda. They specifically flagged al-Qaeda’s ability to reconstitute its capabilities and conduct an attack on US interests … Continue reading A Friendly Reminder that Al-Qaeda is Still Strong and Will Likely Become Even Stronger
Boko Haram: Terrorist Endemic
Boko Haram, a terrorist organization that emerged in northern Nigeria in 2002, continues to pose a significant threat to Nigeria and the broader region, carrying out deadly attacks and engaging in criminal activity. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Boko Haram insurgency has displaced nearly 2.4 million people in the Lake … Continue reading Boko Haram: Terrorist Endemic
Women: Terrorism’s Secret Weapon
Photo Credit: The Institute for Security Studies Recent studies of women’s roles in jihadi terrorism debunk the widely held belief that women are either passive victims or fanatical jihadi brides. Women participate – both willingly and unwillingly – in terrorist activities for a variety of reasons.[1] Women’s participation in jihadi terrorism is not binary, it … Continue reading Women: Terrorism’s Secret Weapon