Photo Credit:Fox News By: Sarah Gilkes, Columnist In December 2013, Sinh Vinh Ngo Nguyen pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. After Nguyen entered his plea in a California court, United States District Court Judge John F. Walter remarked, “I simply do not understand how we … Continue reading The Birth of Terrorist Deradicalization Programming in the U.S.?
Category: Terrorism & Transnational Threats
Jabhat al-Nusra: An Enduring, Yet Imperfect Adversary
Photo Credit: Counter Jihad Report By Sam Rosenberg, Guest Contributor Over the past several years, Jabhat al-Nusra (JN) has built a sustainable organization in Syria that will not easily be defeated. Since its establishment in 2012 during the Syrian Civil War, JN has shown that it has learned from al-Qaeda’s past mistakes. The group established … Continue reading Jabhat al-Nusra: An Enduring, Yet Imperfect Adversary
The Intersection of Art and Terrorism
Photo Credit: Notes to Basquiat, Gordon Bennett By Nicole Magney, Columnist When people think about terrorism, the topic of art rarely factors into their thought processes. However, the correlations between terrorist events and the concept of artistic expression and performance are not negligible. Terrorist acts can be thought of as a version of performance theater, … Continue reading The Intersection of Art and Terrorism
Amid Setbacks in Somalia, al Shabaab Hints at Resurgence
Photo Credit: The Telegraph By Ian Churchill, Columnist Though many observers of the multinational effort to stamp out al Shabaab in Somalia characterize the group as ‘on its heels,’ such optimistic assessments belie the uncomfortable truths unfolding on the ground.[i] Boasting between seven and nine thousand fighters, Harakat al Shabaab al Mujahideen, or ‘Movement of … Continue reading Amid Setbacks in Somalia, al Shabaab Hints at Resurgence
CONTEST, Prevent, and the Lessons of UK Counterterrorism Policy
Photo Credit: Reuters By Nicole Magney, Columnist In the wake of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels, researchers and journalists alike have increasingly sought to explore the effectiveness and preparedness of European counterterrorism (CT) strategies. The United Kingdom’s CT strategy, named CONTEST, was first implemented in 2003 and has served as a model … Continue reading CONTEST, Prevent, and the Lessons of UK Counterterrorism Policy
Could Saddam’s Faith Campaign Have Given Us ISIS?: An Iraqi Perspective
Photo Credit: The Guardian By Yasir Kuoti, Guest Contributor ISIS and Saddam’s Faith Campaign: Is There A Link? With the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime in Iraq in March 2003, the troubles for Iraqis did not end as hoped for. Decisions that followed, principally the retiring of Iraqi security forces by the Bush administration … Continue reading Could Saddam’s Faith Campaign Have Given Us ISIS?: An Iraqi Perspective
Terrorist Radicalization and the Targeting Issue
Photo Credit: PBS.org By Nate Subramanian, Columnist Who are we talking to? And what are we saying? Given the reactionary response of many political figures in the United States and Europe to the recent terror attacks in Belgium, it is perhaps best to consider not how a counter-radicalization narrative could succeed, but rather how it … Continue reading Terrorist Radicalization and the Targeting Issue
With Deadly Pampore Attack, Lashkar-e-Taiba Responds to Islamic State Critique
Photo Credit: Carnegie Endowment By Ian Churchill, Columnist On February 20, 2016, four militants attacked an Indian army parliamentary convoy transiting Pampore, a city in Indian-administered Kashmir. After the initial assault, the attackers occupied a nearby government facility, using automatic weapons and grenades to keep the Indian army at bay during a protracted two-day siege … Continue reading With Deadly Pampore Attack, Lashkar-e-Taiba Responds to Islamic State Critique
Exploiting the Inherent Seam in the Islamic State
Photo Credit: Reuters By Kathryn Hillegass, Columnist It is time to put ISIS back in its place. Not by “bombing the s**t” out them of as a certain Presidential hopeful may espouse, but by discrediting the legitimacy of a global Islamic caliphate. [i] The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham is a radical Salafi Islamist … Continue reading Exploiting the Inherent Seam in the Islamic State
The Danger of Ignoring Yemen
Photo: BBC News By Ian K, Columnist While the media’s attention largely remains fixed on the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), al-Qa’ida’s most dangerous global affiliate is thriving in Yemen. Al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is likely stronger now than at any point in its history, judging by its territorial expansion … Continue reading The Danger of Ignoring Yemen