Photo: Roberto Schmidt—AFP/Getty Images, via Time.com By Farnaz Alimehri, Columnist On February 12, 2016, CIA Director John Brennan confirmed that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) used chemical weapons – specifically mustard and chlorine gas – and may use them again, as it has the capacity to produce more.[1] US official speculation about ISIL’s … Continue reading Should We Fear the Unconventional? Why ISIL’s Chemical Weapons Are Causing the West to Panic
Category: Terrorism & Transnational Threats
Does Terrorism Work?: A Discussion with Dr. Bruce Hoffman
Photo: The King David Hotel in Jerusalem in the aftermath of the July 1946 attack, Hulton Archive/Getty Images, via The New York Times By Brian Wickizer, Reporter SSP Director Dr. Bruce Hoffman spoke at the Center for Security Studies Lunch Series on February 18 to mark the one-year anniversary of the release of his book Anonymous Soldiers: The Struggle … Continue reading Does Terrorism Work?: A Discussion with Dr. Bruce Hoffman
“Jihadi Brides” or Something More? Understanding Why Women Join ISIS
By: Nicole Magney, Columnist Photo Credit: Members of the Al-Khansaa Brigade, ISIS' all-female police force (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2967504/Three-runaway-teen-jihadi-brides-feared-heading-clutches-British-women-leading-ISIS-religious-police-dole-savage-beatings.html). The topic of foreign fighters traveling to join ISIS has been and continues to be widely explored in both media and academic circles. What seems to be lacking is an in-depth, sustained discussion of the Islamic State’s efforts to … Continue reading “Jihadi Brides” or Something More? Understanding Why Women Join ISIS
Terrorism on the Move
By: Anthony D’Amato, Columnist Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons There was a time in the not too distant past when policymakers in both parties thought that America was on the verge of defeating terrorism. Some people believed that since al-Qaeda was on the “run and bin Laden is dead,” we would soon live in a world … Continue reading Terrorism on the Move
Not All Apologies Are Created Equal: Israel’s Insecurity and the March Elections
Wikimedia Commons By Mitchel Hochberg, Columnist Opinions presented in this article do not represent the views of the Office of the Secretary of Defense or the US Government Two weeks ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu feebly expressed remorse for saying that Israeli Arabs voted in “droves” during March’s Israeli elections.[1] Netanyahu also attempted to … Continue reading Not All Apologies Are Created Equal: Israel’s Insecurity and the March Elections
Interview: Dr. Bruce Hoffman on His New Book, Anonymous Soldiers: The Struggle for Israel, 1917-1947
By Sarah Maksoud, Reporter The GSSR sat with Dr. Bruce Hoffman to discuss his new book, Anonymous Soldiers: The Struggle for Israel, 1917-1947. Based on meticulous archival research conducted in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Israel, the book explores the use of terrorism as a tactic in the Jewish campaign against the British in … Continue reading Interview: Dr. Bruce Hoffman on His New Book, Anonymous Soldiers: The Struggle for Israel, 1917-1947
Countering Boko Haram Propaganda: A Memo to US Policymakers
Abubakar Shekau, Leader of Boko Haram, Wikimedia Commons By Josh Forgét, Columnist Boko Haram (or Jama’atu Ahlus-Sunnah Lidda’Awati Wal Jihad) is in the midst of a media transition. Inspired by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Boko Haram is refashioning its propaganda to target a more global audience through the use of social … Continue reading Countering Boko Haram Propaganda: A Memo to US Policymakers
Why the World is Failing to Secure Fissile Materials
Image: Explosion from nuclear weapon test taken from Wikimedia Commons By Maciej Lempke, Columnist Many countries around the world continue to produce fissile materials. As of January 2013, the global stockpile of plutonium is about 490 tons, 260 tons of which are in civilian custody.[i] The global stockpile of highly enriched uranium (HEU), as of December … Continue reading Why the World is Failing to Secure Fissile Materials
Interview: Dr. Bruce Hoffman on the Release of the 9/11 Review Commission Report
By Sarah Maksoud, Reporter The 9/11 Review Commission released a declassified report on Wednesday, evaluating the FBI’s counterterrorism performance. The commissioners—Dr. Bruce Hoffman, Edwin Meese III, and Timothy Roemer—came to the conclusion that the FBI “has made measurable progress over the past decade” in developing its intelligence capabilities, but that progress in building key intelligence … Continue reading Interview: Dr. Bruce Hoffman on the Release of the 9/11 Review Commission Report
The Threat of Urban Terrorism
Wikimedia Commons By Ryan Pereria, Columnist US Attorney General Eric Holder warned that the January 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris were indicative of terrorism’s next wave: leaderless jihad carried out by small cell networks. In the February attacks, two teams of lightly armed jihadists using armed assault, police executions, hostage taking, and barricade standoffs terrorized … Continue reading The Threat of Urban Terrorism