Violence and Security

Islamic State Justifies Territorial Contraction by Reference to Koran

October 26, 2016

Islamic State leaders are using Koranic passages to justify the impending loss of Mosul and the contraction of the caliphate's territory, aiming to maintain long-term popular support via a strategy of endurance and resilience.
OSCE Conference Seeks Action Against "Intolerance"

October 26, 2016

At a recent Conference on Tolerance and Diversity hosted by the German leadership of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Berlin, national leaders and international officials highlighted the lingering tensions in a global agenda committed both to tolerating opposing viewpoints as well as combating "hate speech" and "intolerance."
EU Report Identifies Anti-Migrant "Hate Speech" as Concern

October 26, 2016

A summary report from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights identifying "priority areas" for migration-related fundamental rights includes "hate speech" against migrants, including "hostile demonstrations against refugees," as an area of focus for action by EU member states.
UN Agent: Migration Restrictions Encourage Terrorism

October 25, 2016

UN Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights Ben Emmerson has published a report arguing that "overly-restrictive migration policies" encourage terrorism and criticizing as "unfounded" the idea that migrants are more prone than other groups to radicalization and recruitment by terrorist organizations.
Iranian Support Advances Recruiting of Hezbollah Militants

October 24, 2016

The use by Hezbollah, the militant Lebanese Shiite organization committed to Israel's destruction, of financial incentives from Iran to recruit and radicalize impoverished Shiites suggests the policy importance of economic development incentives in countering Islamist radicalization.
IS Proves Adaptable in Response to Mosul Offensive

October 24, 2016

The Islamic State's adaptability in rebranding itself as both caliphate and insurgency and resilience in moving to an irregular insurgency model in response to the US-led coalition offensive to liberate Mosul from IS forces has provided the opportunity for IS to continue to destabilize Iraq and Syria for years to come and to operate as a threat to US interests abroad and at home.
Convergence of Jihadist and Criminal Networks Poses Threat to Europe

October 20, 2016

A new report by a widely respected British think tank details how the convergence of jihadist and organized criminal milieus, including shared networks for terrorist recruitment and funding and for money laundering and narcotics trafficking, poses a threat to Europe's peace and prosperity.
Christians Are Collateral Damage in Iraqi Islamic Civil War

October 19, 2016

The Iraqi Army-led military offensive to retake the geopolitically important city of Mosul from Islamic State forces reveals the extent to which Christian communities are collateral damage in the sectarian war between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, as well as IS loyalists committed to the caliphate as an alternative to the Iraqi state.
Europe Faces "Time Bomb" in Migration Crisis

October 19, 2016

Politico reports that an architect of the EU's pact with Turkey to share refugees from the Middle East in return for EU aid and visa liberalization is warning that the unimplemented deal is exacerbating the conditions of asylum seekers in Greek migrant camps and could encourage migrants to test EU borders north of Greece and gain entry along the Balkan route.
Boko Haram Forces Girls to Choose Radicalization or Enslavement

October 18, 2016

Following their negotiated release, the small group of schoolgirls held in captivity by the Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram for more than two years has reported that the militants forced them to choose between jihadist radicalization or enslavement to the group's fighters.