Violence and Security

Rising Profile of Bin Laden Son Signals Revitalized al-Qaeda

June 06, 2017

The rising profile of Hamza bin Laden, the favorite son of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda heir apparent, on jihadi social media sites signals the revitalization of the global Islamist terror movement, now rebranded with youthful leadership and flexible tactics designed to appeal to Muslims worldwide.
Cyberattack Raises Specter of Jihadi Biotech Terrorism

June 02, 2017

The recent WannaCry ransomware cyber episodes has raised alarm bells among international security experts warning that jihadi groups may be developing the capacity to design bioweapons that could degrade and destroy Western food and water supplies and that could cripple Western cybertechnology and infrastructure.
Boko Haram Attack Continues Islamist Violence in West Africa

June 02, 2017

A suicide bombing attack perpetrated in Cameroon by Boko Haram underscored the continuing effort by Islamist militant groups to destabilize the security environment in West Africa and to spread sharia regimes across the African Continent.
Irish Court Sentences IS Supporter

June 02, 2017

An Irish Criminal Court judge issued a five-year jail sentence to a Dutch national living in Ireland for applauding Islamic State (IS) terror attacks in France and threatening to behead Jews.
US Government Announces Mosque Settlement

June 02, 2017

The US Justice Department has announced that Bernards Township in New Jersey will pay a $3.25 million settlement to the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge to resolve a dispute over the site of a mosque complex, reflecting a growing trend of lawsuits related to US mosque complexes that involve polarized arguments about zoning laws and religious tolerance.
UN Observer Criticizes Saudi "Terror" Definition

June 02, 2017

The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, Ben Emmerson, has criticized Saudi Arabia for its "unacceptably broad definition of terrorism" and called for the country's government to adopt a new definition in line with international human rights norms.
Facebook Criticizes German "Hate Speech" Law

May 31, 2017

Internet giant Facebook has issued a statement warning that German legislation that would provide for fining social media platforms up to 50 million euros for failing promptly to delete "illegal hate speech" gives companies the incentive to delete speech that is legal in Germany and elsewhere to avoid disproportionate penalties.
IS Terrorizes Iraqis with Attack on Soft Targets

May 31, 2017

The Islamic State (IS) targeted families gathering to break the Islamic Ramadan fast at a popular ice cream shop in a mainly Shiite neighborhood of Baghdad in a lethal attack, reinforcing the group's stated commitment to attack soft targets worldwide as a jihadi statement of opposition to all who oppose the Islamist caliphate.
Iraqi Refugees in Europe Endure PTSD Horror

May 31, 2017

Members of the Yazidi community subjected to genocide by the Islamic State (IS) in the Sinjar province of Iraq are now speaking openly as refugees in Europe to shed light on their struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) resulting from the abuse suffered as sex slaves to IS militants committed to establishing a global caliphate.
Taliban Targets Religious Scholars in Afghan Struggle

May 30, 2017

Taliban militants have augmented their jihadi war against the Afghan government with a move to slim the ranks of religious-intellectual dissenters, using a sharp increase in targeted killings of Islamic clerics who reject Talabani-style, violent Islamism.