Violence and Security

London Bridge Attacks Highlights Hegemonic Threat of Islamist Extremism

December 11, 2019

The aftermath of the recent terror attack on London Bridge by a supporter of al-Qaeda and IS has seen United Kingdom (UK) law enforcement and security officials emphasize that Islamist extremism remains the hegemonic security threat to Western and global stability, especially given evidence of the failure of prison de-radicalization programs designed to rehabilitate convicted Islamist radicals.
Hamas & IS Are Islamist Rivals, Enemies of Israel

September 03, 2019

The Gaza-based Islamist group Hamas, dedicated to a sharia-ordered Palestinian state, and IS, the Islamist jihadist entity committed to a global Islamist caliphate, are escalating their internecine competition, while also remaining committed to their common position of rejecting Israel’s right to exist.
Trial Scheduled for Al-Qaeda’s Prime Conspirators of the 9/11 Attack

September 03, 2019

A US military judge has scheduled a date for the trial of the leading conspirators who architected al-Qaeda’s 9/11 terrorist attack on the United States, with the five Islamist terror leader’s’ trial by a special military commission slated to begin on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 jihadist assault on America.
Female Jihadi Plotters Cop to Preparing Homeland Terror Attacks in NYC

August 26, 2019

Two women from Queens, New York entered guilty pleas to "preparing for jihad" terror attacks in New York City, in a federal trial underway in the city of Brooklyn.
Geopolitics of Eastern Syria Is the Linchpin of Stopping IS Resurgence

August 26, 2019

The geopolitics of northeastern Syria is the territorial linchpin of future Great Power efforts to prevent a resurgence of the remnant caliphate forces still fighting there, but because US policymakers stand at cross-purposes with regional allies and partners such as Turkey and Iraq and with competitors and hostiles such as Russia and Iran, the possibilities for stabilization of a permanent post-IS reality hinge on the strategic control over that part of Syria that intersects with Turkey and Iraq.
Pakistani Mosque Blast Targets Afghan Taliban and Underscores Jihadist Instability

August 21, 2019

A lethal bomb explosion in mosque in Pakistan frequented by Afghan Taliban leaders points to competing jihadist and state interests at play in the US-Taliban negotiations aiming at an American forces withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Australia Debates Laws to Protect Against Islamist Extremism

August 13, 2019

Australia’s Parliament is considering new laws on prison sentencing and parole, along with the renewal of emergency-intelligence measures, designed to protect the country against the complex and evolving threat of Islamist extremism while respecting civil liberties.
American Muslim Leader Generates Controversy

August 13, 2019

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf, an American Muslim scholar and religious leader widely viewed by academic and policy experts as the leading voice and catalyst for the rapid growth of Islam in the US public sphere, is attracting intensified scrutiny for his shifting affiliations and mixed record on condemning Islamist violence.
Kazakhstan Experiments with Female IS Rehab Program

August 12, 2019

Kazakhstan is experimenting with a rehabilitation and deradicalization program for female returnees who either fought with the Islamic State (IS) or were part of IS families in Iraq and Syria, in a program whose success rate is being closely followed by Western countries.
CIA Funds Special Military-Intelligence Unit in Afghanistan

August 12, 2019

The concern of Western Alliance states that extremist Islamist groups may capture control of Afghanistan after the anticipated US troop withdrawal under negotiation between the US and the Taliban underlies the CIA's funding of a special military-intelligence force operating to root out extremists in the country.