Violence and Security

Evolving Threats to Homeland Security Push New Frontiers of Tech-Terrorism Connections

March 09, 2016

The legal disagreement between Apple and the FBI over access to the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino Islamist-inspired terrorists highlights the evolving threats to homeland security that are provoking new forms of potential cooperation between U.S. homeland security officials and Silicon Valley innovators in meta-data collection.
Boko Haram Jihad Causes Food Crisis in West Africa

March 09, 2016

A massive food shortage is unfolding in West Africa, catalyzed by the comprehensive flight of farmers and herdsmen seeking to avoid the jihadi violence of the Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, which aims to impose sharia law across the region.
Danish Imam's Incitement to Violence Raises Political Tensions

March 09, 2016

A Danish imam calling for violence under sharia at a mosque that has been part of the government's counter-radicalization program aimed at Muslim youth has prompted widespread calls by political parties for a review of state policies to address Islamist extremism.
Minnesota Judge Calls for Deradicalization Program for IS Recruits

March 09, 2016

A Minnesota federal district judge is calling for an innovative deradicalization program customized for the recent spate of Somali-Americans convicted of plotting to join Islamic State ("IS").
Al-Shabaab Aims to Prevent Somali Elections by Hike in Jihadi Attacks

March 01, 2016

Al-Shabaab, the Somali Islamist group fighting a guerrilla war to build a sharia state in the country, carried out a series of lethal attacks against soft targets this past weekend, aiming to sabotage planning for national elections slated for later this year and to break the momentum of the multinational African Union Peacekeeping Force working to oust the jihadis from Somalia.
Germany Loses Track of 130,000 Migrants

February 29, 2016

AFP reports that, according to a document produced by the German Government, authorities have failed to track approximately 130,000 asylum seekers registered in 2015, as they did not appear at the reception centers to which officials directed them after registration.
OSCE Conference Focuses on Intolerance Toward Muslims

February 24, 2016

A conference hosted by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe ("OSCE") sought to strengthen efforts in the OSCE region to find a "holistic approach" to reducing discrimination against and intolerance of Muslims, including "countering negative stereotypes" in the media.
FBI and Apple Continue Battle over Access to Dead Terrorist's iPhone

February 23, 2016

The US Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI") remain locked in a legal battle with Apple, articulated in a debate over homeland security priorities versus personal freedoms, given the tech company's refusal to grant the government's request for access to the Apple iPhone of one of the perpetrators of the December 2015 Islamic State-inspired terror attacks in California.
Twitter Shutdowns Stifle IS Social Media Recruitment and Propaganda

February 23, 2016

Systematic research on the impact of Twitter's suspension of Islamic State ("IS")-affiliated accounts shows that limitations on IS social media messaging causes downward pressure on the extremist group's Islamist propaganda reach and jihadi recruitment pool.
IS Extorts Mosul Residents to Generate Cash-for-War Effort in Iraq

February 23, 2016

Responding to the Baghdad government's tactics to deprive the Islamic State ("IS") of revenues for its caliphate, IS has intensified its comprehensive extortion of Mosul residents for purposes of maintaining the jihadi war machine on the Iraqi front.