Violence and Security

IS Members Hunker Down in Turkey to Continue Jihad

December 22, 2017

Reports by Western governments and think tanks indicate that significant numbers of Islamic State (IS) members used the porous border between Syria and Turkey to hunker down in the NATO member-state to await further instructions from dispersed caliphate leadership about the continuation of jihadi activities in the Mideast and Europe.
IS Propaganda Machine Pushes for Christmas Attacks

December 22, 2017

Islamic State (IS) social media and propaganda sites have been in high gear for the month of December, inciting IS followers to concentrate jihadi efforts against Western culture by attacking American and European soft targets over the Christmas and New Year period.
Twitter Implements Ban on "Hateful Conduct"

December 20, 2017

The Telegraph reports that, under the tech company's new policy against "hateful conduct and abusive behavior," taking into account users' online and offline actions, Twitter has suspended users associated with white nationalist and anti-Islam groups from its social media platform.
Experts: Degrade IS Propaganda Machine to Stabilize Iraq

December 20, 2017

Security experts agree that a crucial aspect in the long-term strategic defeat of the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq is the permanent degrading of the Islamist extremist group’s robust propaganda machine, including mechanisms to combat IS social media recruitment and a complete overhaul of the jihadi curriculum in Iraq’s public education system.
Russian Security Chief Warns of IS “Bandit Units”

December 20, 2017

The Director of Russia’s Federal Security Service has identified militant Islamism as an immediate and long-term threat to stability in Russia, warning of the terrorism and radicalization risks associated with “bandit units" of Islamic State (IS) fighters returning from the war in Syria.
OSCE Official Seeks "Rights-Based" Migrant Integration

December 20, 2017

Marking International Migrants Day, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir highlighted her organization's work on "combatting intolerance and discrimination" by providing global "good practices" promoting migrant integration efforts centered around the international human rights agenda.
Western Europe Faces Foreign Fighter Challenge

December 20, 2017

An article in The Economist highlights the major challenges faced by Western European countries in dealing with nationals returning home from fighting for the Islamic State, with the benefits of intensive outreach and law-enforcement efforts to deal with radicalized individuals counterbalanced by a disjointed security structure across the EU.
UN Agents: States Should Shift Public Discourse on Migration

December 20, 2017

A group of UN experts has urged member states to change public discourse on migration by informing citizens of the benefits of migration and ensuring that migration is discussed in a positive light.
French Court Strikes Ban on Consulting Extremist Sites

December 20, 2017

France’s Constitutional Council has struck down a law that criminalized the "regular consultation" of websites deemed to be "inciting or glorifying terrorism" on the ground that it constituted a violation of the freedom of communication.
IS Branches Destabilize Southwest Asia in Lethal Church Attack

December 19, 2017

A twin suicide-bombing attack by an Islamic State (IS) branch in Pakistan against a Church in Quetta killed many worshippers in yet another Islamist assault in the province of Baluchistan, further destabilizing the geopolitically volatile Southwest Asian space where Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan share a border.