Violence and Security

Competing Shiite Islamist Militias Dominate, Destabilize Iraq

December 03, 2018

The fragile Iraqi state is under renewed threat by the competition among a multitude of Shiite militias, many of whom have deep ties to Iran and most of which do not submit to Baghdad's control, meaning reconciliation may require the conflict-resolution and negotiation skills of a leading Shiite clergyman who has good relations with both Baghdad and Tehran.
Brazilian Police Arrest Hezbollah Financial Operative

December 03, 2018

The arrest by the Brazilian police of a leading financial operative of the Lebanese Shiite Islamist group Hezbollah on charges of identity theft and money laundering has thrown into sharp relief the transnational activities of Islamist extremist organizations in the Western Hemisphere.
Iran Uses Cyber Espionage Against Energy Firms

December 03, 2018

Hacking groups affiliated with the government of Iran have targeted energy firms in the Mideast and elsewhere with cyber espionage, causing cybersecurity experts to warn of continued cyber campaigns in the run-up to US economic sanctions against Tehran in the aftermath of the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal.
Pakistan Remains a Safe Haven for Global Jihadi Groups

December 03, 2018

A new US State Department report on terrorism emphasizes the failure of US efforts to pressure Islamabad to get serious about countering Islamist extremism by enacting only a temporary suspensions of US foreign military assistance to Pakistan.
UK Official Warns the Term “Islamophobia” Is Silencing Debate

November 30, 2018

The Director of the British government's Anti-Extremism Commission has warned that "Islamophobia" has become a lightning-rod term deliberately politicized and deployed by Islamist extremist groups as a radicalization-and-recruitment tool among Muslim communities and to silence critical debate about militant Islamism.
Malian President Warns of Expanding Islamist Threat in West Africa

November 30, 2018

Mali's newly elected President has asked for a stronger UN mandate to help combat the expanding military and ideological influence of diverse Islamist militant groups active in West Africa, caused by the influx of weapons and fighters from Libya and Syria and by the poor human-security conditions across Africa.
Global Jihadi Movement Shows Adaptability, Diffusion, and Resilience

November 30, 2018

An article in Foreign Policy examines how the globalized jihadi movement is marked by a shared capacity for adaptability, diffusion, and resilience, leading some counter-terrorism experts to suggest negotiation, together with military engagement, as the optimal US containment strategy for radical Islamism.
Israel-Egypt Mideast Diplomacy Confronts Islamists in Sinai, Gaza

November 30, 2018

Israel and Egypt are using diplomatic engagement to confront the expanding ideology and growing activities of Islamist militants and radicals, especially in the geopolitically vulnerable and linked territorial spaces of the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza.
Nigeria Is Epicenter of Islamist Militant Battle

November 30, 2018

The recent spate of Islamist terror attacks in Nigeria underscores the state as the epicenter of a multi-pronged, expanding front of radical Islamist groups, led by Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa (ISWA), fighting to create a sharia zone across West Africa.
Niger Confirms Kidnapping of Italian Priest in Jihadist Zone

November 30, 2018

Niger government officials have confirmed that an Italian priest has been kidnapped overnight in the country’s border region with Mali and Burkina Faso, a zone of high activity by a constellation of jihadist groups seeking to impose Islamic law in West Africa.