Violence and Security

IS, al-Qaeda Play Waiting Game in Idlib

November 30, 2018

The Syrian regime’s preparations to retake the crucial Idlib Province area from all opposition forces is focused only on military priorities, allowing the Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda leaders to prepare for reactivation of jihadist operations by using Islamism to articulate unresolved societal grievances in Syria.
Al-Qaeda Eulogy of Jihadist Reveals Global Scope of Militant Islamism

November 30, 2018

The al-Qaeda eulogy issued upon the recent death of infamous Afghan jihadist leader Jalaluddiin Haqqani reveals the global scope and resilience of transnational, militant Islamism, as his career reads like a roadmap of the expansion and networking of Taliban-style ideology and violence.
Tony Blair Emphasizes Soft-Power Tools in Fight Against Islamism

November 30, 2018

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair recently warned that Islamist extremism is growing in the face of flawed Western counter-terrorism initiatives that ignore soft-power tools such as education and human security and fail to address the ideological appeals to hearts and minds of radical Islamist recruits and followers.
Islamists Target Sports, Education to Demoralize Afghan Opposition

November 30, 2018

The increased Islamist violence targeting sports venues and schools in Afghanistan represents a deliberate tactical move to destroy Afghan social cohesion and to demoralize popular opposition by terrorizing civilians opposed to establishing a sharia regime throughout the country.
Taliban Demand Sharia State in Negotiations over Afghan Peace

November 29, 2018

The Taliban, the main Islamist group warring against the government of Afghanistan for the past two decades, has agreed to engage in direct peace negotiations with the US but is maintaining their demand for implementation of sharia law throughout the country and their rejection of any American military bases in Afghanistan.
Al-Qaeda Marks 9/11 Anniversary with Call for Jihad

November 29, 2018

Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Zawahiri marked last week's 17th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks against America with a cyber-call to Muslims worldwide to unite in a continuing holy war against the US using combined military and economic means for the long-term depletion of the "Zionist-Crusader" enemies of Islam.
France Considers New Ways to Create “French Islam”

November 29, 2018

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced his government's intention to review a new report on mechanisms to counter Islamist radicalization by creating an organic "French Islam" that will facilitate social incorporation and national cohesion.
Islamist Extremists Killed 22,000 Civilians in 2017

November 29, 2018

Data collected in a detailed report issued by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change reveal the global scope and lethality of Islamist extremist groups, with operations on every continent producing an estimated 22,000 civilian deaths in 2017.
Islamist Extremist Entities Retain Depth, Scope

November 29, 2018

In the 17 years since the 9/11 al-Qaeda terrorist attacks on the US, Islamist extremist groups have successfully used social media as a form of guerrilla warfare while also spreading a global recruitment narrative about the strength and resolve of jihadism in the face of otherwise overwhelming conventional military odds.
Militant Islamism Shows Strength in Afghan City

November 29, 2018

A suicide bombing attack on a protest and bomb attacks on several schools in the Afghan city of Jalalabad are raising questions about the capacity of Afghanistan's security institutions to control the country in the face of a range of jihadist groups committed to making the country an epicenter of global militant Islamism.