Violence and Security

US Experts Evaluate Impact on Mideast Stability

November 08, 2017

US policymakers grappling with America's possible contributions to a stable and secure post-Islamic State (IS) Middle East are seeking to learn from Washington's recent military mistakes that unintentionally enabled the rise of IS and from the failures of institution-building evident in America's development and democratization programs in the Mideast.
German Courts Crack Down on Homegrown Islamist Fighters

November 01, 2017

Germany’s courts are cracking down on homegrown sources of support for global Islamist militancy, as Frankfurt court judges issued separate convictions for two men found guilty of fighting for an Islamic State affiliate in Syria and in Somalia for the jhadist group al-Shabab.
Afghan Islamist Warlord Returns to Kabul

October 25, 2017

The return of notorious Afghan Islamist warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar to Kabul as part of a US-EU-NATO-brokered plan for him to lead the Afghan government's engagement in peace negotiations with the Taliban has sparked a major outcry from international human rights groups charging international actors with perpetuating a "culture of impunity" by Islamist groups.
New Data Show over 5,000 Returning IS Foreign Fighters

October 25, 2017

Data retrieved from the capture of the Islamic State’s (IS) capital headquarters of Raqqa in Syria show the potential longterm security destabilization caused by the return of over 5,000 foreign jihadis to their countries of origin in the Mideast and North Africa, Europe, and Chechen Russia.
OSCE Teaches Irish Officials Migrant Integration Strategies

October 25, 2017

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights recently organized a training workshop in Dublin teaching local officials how to develop effective "migrant integration" strategies in the context of mass migration from Middle Eastern and African countries to Europe.
OSCE Event Seeks Solution to Anti-Muslim "Intolerance"

October 25, 2017

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and Georgetown University recently organized an event in Vienna seeking to develop a "comprehensive response" to "intolerance and discrimination against Muslims and related challenges" in the OSCE region.
Islamist Militants Ambush Egyptian Police

October 25, 2017

Egyptian police forces suffered major casualties when ambushed in a raid on the hideout of the Islamist militant Hasm Movement associated with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, raising concerns about the expansion of Islamist extremist groups that have been targeting Egypt’s Christian community and security forces.
Philippines Issues Premature Declaration of Victory over Urban Islamists

October 25, 2017

Only days after the Philippines Minister of Defense declares a military victory over the Islamist militant groups fighting for months to hold Mindanao’s capital city of Malawi, many Philippines are expressing concerns about the resilience and capacity of rural Islamist radical groups now being reinforced with funds and fighters from IS-related sources.
US Security Chief Warns of IS 9/11-style Plots

October 25, 2017

The Acting Director of the US Department of Homeland Security warned an Anglo-American audience that Islamic State (IS) cells are planning another 9/11-style attack on American soil, using knife and vehicle attacks as recruiting and financing tools to prepare for a major terrorist blow.
End to Caliphate Is No End to IS

October 25, 2017

Western security and intelligence experts warn that the military defeat of the Islamic State (IS) with the fall of the Caliphate capital at Raqqa does not mean the end of IS because the jihadi group’s leadership has prepared contingency plans for a shift to ongoing guerrilla operations in the Mideast and Africa and to core soft-target terror attacks in European and American cities.