In The News

The Jihadist Eruption

Shiraz Maher January 18, 2013
The Arab Spring has triggered unrest among competing ethnic groups in Northern Africa, the latest manifestation of which is the taking of 40 gas-plant employees taken hostages in eastern Algeria. The captors blamed French military intervention in nearby Mali. But Shiraz Maher, writing for the Wall Street Journal, explains animosity in the region lingers after NATO forces assisted Libyan rebels in...

Is Mali Another Loss for Counterinsurgency?

Max Fisher January 16, 2013
The world’s most powerful nations continue to struggle over how to defeat extremists, often a minority faction that can destabilize entire nations – from Afghanistan in Central Asia to Mali in Africa. The strategies range from those small in scale, including intelligence collection, deployment of special forces, use of drones and working with local forces, to a heavy military presence, including...

Two Diverging Roads for Afghanistan

Thomas Barfield January 11, 2013
US President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai are meeting throughout the day at the White House, developing specifics on troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and the US role in the region. Afghanistan faces two futures. “The direction depends on whether Afghanistan breaks its longstanding lack of economic integration with the outside world,” suggests Thomas Barfield, Afghanistan...

No Lone Wolves in Cyberspace

Gabriel Weimann December 21, 2012
Two Florida brothers, naturalized US citizens, were arrested in November for trying to obtain explosives and carry out an attack in New York City. Prosecutors allege the men had read Inspire, a magazine in English said to be published by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula for encouraging terrorism and random attacks in Europe and the US. Lone wolf terrorism – typically young adult men who plan a...

The Counterintuitive Jihad

Abukar Arman November 29, 2012
The concept of jihad is debated by many and largely misunderstood or misinterpreted by those seeking to drive a wedge between Islam and the West. In setting out guidelines for adherents of the faith, the Prophet Mohammed was intent on transforming society in the 7th century, eliminating ignorance and developing a common code for conduct. Abukar Arman, Somalia special envoy to the United States,...

Al Qaeda’s Resurgence

Bruce Riedel October 22, 2012
It’s human nature to long to be part of a greater purpose, to sacrifice and battle for country or values. This is no less true for marginalized, uneducated youth in the Muslim world, chafing against interventions and other forms of globalization that make inequities only more pronounced. Al Qaeda may not be a popular movement, but it’s not on its last legs, argues Bruce Riedel, former official...

India’s Treacherous Northeast

Bertil Lintner September 26, 2012
The Northeast corner of India may not top a list of volatile trouble spots for most global leaders, yet a quick glance at a map immediately shows the region’s challenges: shared borders with China, Burma, Bangladesh and Bhutan and slim connection to the rest of India via the Siliguri corridor, a legacy of British India. Boundary lines and governments were quickly drafted in 1947 and redrafted...