Shah Ahmad Shafi, one of the founders of Hefazat-e-Islam. Wikimedia Commons By Akhilesh Pillalamarri, Columnist A new school of Islam from Saudi Arabia is transforming South Asia’s religious landscape. Wahhabism, a fundamental Sunni school of Islam originating in Saudi Arabia, entered South Asia in the late 1970s. With public and private Saudi funding, Wahhabism has … Continue reading The Radicalization of South Asian Islam: Saudi Money and the Spread of Wahhabism
Category: Middle East & North Africa
A Peace Worth Fighting For
IDF soldiers inspect a missile impact site, Wikimedia Commons By Mitchel Hochberg, Columnist Hamas and Israel are not currently at war, but the Gaza Strip is still in shambles and without an effective governor. Israel has let few reconstruction materials into Gaza, stifling rebuilding plans. Fatah is monitoring border crossings as part of a precarious … Continue reading A Peace Worth Fighting For
Iraq’s Five Catalysts for Civil War
An Iraqi Soldier in Baghdad, Wikimedia Commons By James Dickey, Columnist Revolutions and counter-revolutions embroil Iraq, providing the impetus for rebellion against the central government. While not all of these civil wars are ‘hot’ at any given time, no one movement has achieved complete victory, nor has any been completely defeated or appeased by Baghdad. … Continue reading Iraq’s Five Catalysts for Civil War
Deteriorating Nuclear Disincentives in the Middle East
President Obama Meets with former Turkish Prime Minister and current President Tayyip Erdogan at the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, Wikimedia Commons By Evan Thompson, Columnist Since the public disclosure of Iran’s nuclear program and the prospects of its weaponization, experts have worried about a spiral of nuclear proliferation in the already unstable Middle East. Three … Continue reading Deteriorating Nuclear Disincentives in the Middle East
The Right Kahl: Unfounded Criticism of a (Former) SSP Professor
Wikimedia Commons By Daniel Charles Last week, the White House announced Dr. Colin Kahl as the new National Security Advisor to Vice President Biden.[1] The decision to appoint Kahl - formerly a professor here at the Security Studies Program (SSP) - has been the source of some criticism, primarily from commentators on the right. While … Continue reading The Right Kahl: Unfounded Criticism of a (Former) SSP Professor
Is Egypt repeating Iraq’s mistakes?
Wikimedia Commons By John Rodriguez Much of the blame for the recent crisis in Iraq, with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) seizing large swaths of territory, has been laid at the feet of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his sectarian policies. Aaron David Miller, Vice President for New Initiatives at the … Continue reading Is Egypt repeating Iraq’s mistakes?
U.S. Security Partnerships after the fall of Mosul
Photo by Tommy Avilucea/U.S. Air Force By John Rodriguez | After the capture of Mosul in northern Iraq by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), commentators have offered a number of explanations for how this catastrophe came about. Many, including the State Department, point out that “ISIL continues to gain strength from … Continue reading U.S. Security Partnerships after the fall of Mosul
Anatomy of a Winning Insurgency: Learning From Hizballah’s Victory Over Israel in the 1982-2000 South Lebanon Conflict
Photo by yeowatzup/Flickr By Jeff Burdette | In both Afghanistan and Iraq, the United States was pitted against a resilient and adroit insurgency. And each time, the United States struggled to respond effectively. Given the growing presence of al-Qaeda linked or inspired insurgents in numerous countries throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, … Continue reading Anatomy of a Winning Insurgency: Learning From Hizballah’s Victory Over Israel in the 1982-2000 South Lebanon Conflict
Inspired by Inspire: Al-Qaeda Central’s Latest Foray into Western Recruitment
Photo by New York Times/Wikimedia Commons By Jamie Geller and Jeff Burdette | Recently, al Qaeda-core (AQC) announced their upcoming publication of an English-language magazine, Resurgence, in a video disseminated from their official media outlet, as-Sahab. The slickly produced video is set to a speech by Malcolm X announcing the need to “learn to speak … Continue reading Inspired by Inspire: Al-Qaeda Central’s Latest Foray into Western Recruitment
Why the ISIS-al-Qaeda Conflict Isn’t All Good News
Photo by Voice of America/Wikimedia Commons By Jeff Burdette | On February 24, an Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (ISIS) suicide bomber infiltrated an Ahrar al-Sham base in the city of Aleppo in northwestern Syria and detonated a powerful bomb that killed seven fighters. Though only the latest attack in a long and … Continue reading Why the ISIS-al-Qaeda Conflict Isn’t All Good News