By: Xander Causwell, Columnist Photo by: The Guardian Violent Islamist extremism in Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) has endured despite improbable odds and ineffectual domestic militant operations. Nonetheless, T&T extremist groups will likely continue supporting foreign jihadist operations until the former are dismantled. In 2017 the international community intensified scrutiny of the Republic of T&T’s security … Continue reading Islamist Militancy in Trinidad & Tobago: The Incubation of Terror
Category: Terrorism & Transnational Threats
A Long Game in Syria: Turkey Versus Al-Qaeda
By: Patrick Hoover, Columnist Photo by: The Century Foundation The relationship between Turkey and al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS and previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra), is a complex and ambiguous one. Since the Syrian civil war began in 2012, Turkish-HTS dynamics have ebbed and flowed largely according to regional and local conditions. On … Continue reading A Long Game in Syria: Turkey Versus Al-Qaeda
Burying Our Heads in the Sand: Female Participation in Political Violence (The Kim Yo-jong Story)
By: Annie Kowalewski, Columnist Photo by: Associated Press After Kim Yo-jong’s appearance at the Pyeongchang Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, the media heralded her “charm” and applauded her for “stealing the show”. [i] Kim Yo-jong’s coverage was so positive that even Buzzfeed News stepped in to remind the populace that she is part of one of … Continue reading Burying Our Heads in the Sand: Female Participation in Political Violence (The Kim Yo-jong Story)
Operation Olive Branch: A Misstep in Russia’s Syria Strategy?
By: Katie Earle, Columnist Photo by: thefuldagap.com Despite Russia’s complicated relationship with Turkey and its prior cooperation with US-backed Kurdish forces, known as the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), Moscow consented to a major Turkish offensive against the latter. So far, that decision looks to be a misstep for the Kremlin. At the end of … Continue reading Operation Olive Branch: A Misstep in Russia’s Syria Strategy?
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
Defeating Digital Discombobulation: Options in Countering Online Disinformation Campaigns
By: Mei Lim, Columnist Photo by: https://www.psychologicalscience.org “Fake news”, “disinformation”, “misinformation”; since the 2016 US presidential elections, these terms have exploded into the public lexicon, bringing awareness to a longstanding problem of online communication: when anyone can publish anything, how do we know anything is true? Focusing on the main types of audiences for disinformation … Continue reading Defeating Digital Discombobulation: Options in Countering Online Disinformation Campaigns
The Islamic State in North Africa: Assessing the Potential of a Maghrebi Offshoot
By Ben Schaefer, Columnist Photo by: Associated Foreign Press With the recent fall of the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria, the time is ripe to speculate on the caliphate’s next moves. Discord and chaos in North Africa—from Libya’s fractured political landscape to Tunisia’s returning foreign fighters—leads IS analysts and foreign policy practitioners to … Continue reading The Islamic State in North Africa: Assessing the Potential of a Maghrebi Offshoot
Bitcoin and the Dark Web: The New Terrorist Threat?
By: Antonia Ward, Columnist Photo by: money.cnn.com Since it first came into existence in 2009, Bitcoin has been causing controversy, confusion, and consternation in equal measure. The cryptocurrency is valued at 1 bitcoin to $14,122 USD (£10,189.53) at the time of writing (15 January 2017), and is the first decentralized digital currency of its kind, … Continue reading Bitcoin and the Dark Web: The New Terrorist Threat?
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
Strategic Gridlock in America’s Second Somalia War
By: Brian Hayes, Columnist Photo Credit: Newsweek In the last quarter century, the United States has twice intervened in Somalia. The first intervention—made famous by the book and film Blackhawk Down—ended in failure in 1995. The second intervention, less well known, is now in its eleventh year. From relatively narrow counterterrorism objectives—hunting down a few … Continue reading Strategic Gridlock in America’s Second Somalia War