Arif Jamal
Arif Jamal is a visiting fellow at the New York University and author of “Shadow War – The Untold Story of Jihad in Kashmir.”
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Articles by Arif Jamal
A Profile of Iqbal Bhatkal: The First Indian Mujahideen Leader Added to India’s Most Wanted List
Iqbal Bhatkal is a co-founder of the Indian Mujahideen (IM). The IM is the first Indian terrorist group which has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United
In the Shadow of Iqbal: A Snapshot of His Younger Brother Riyaz Bhatkal—Co-Founder of the Indian Mujahideen
Riyaz Ismail Shahbandari aka Riyaz Bhatkal is one of the top Indian jihadis and co-founders of the Indian Mujahideen (IM). He is the younger brother of IM ideologue, Iqbal Bhatkal,
Dual Blows Imperil the Future of the Cross-Border Haqqani Network
Two recent events seem to have shaken the Haqqani Network to its core—the death of Badruddin Haqqani and the group’s designation as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” (FTO) by the United
Analyzing the Role of the Top LeT Ideologue: A Profile of Amir Hamza
Maulana Amir Hamza is one of the most important leaders of the Pakistan-based Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) terrorist group after its amir Hafiz Muhammad Saeed. He is a fiery speaker and a
Malik Mohammad Ishaq: Founder of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
One of Pakistan’s top terrorists and one of the founders of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), Malik Muhammad Ishaq, is all set to play his role after his release earlier this year
Karachi’s Deadly Political and Sectarian Warfare Threatens the Stability of Pakistan’s Commercial Capital
Karachi is one of the most violent cities in the world where, according to Additional Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Akhtar Hassan Gorchani at least 396 persons have lost their
Jamestown’s Analyst Arif Jamal Cited in the Washington Post
The Washington Post on February 17 wrote about Arif Jamal's Militant Leadership Monitor article on Bin Laden's ISI Handler, Brigadier Ijaz Shah.
A Snapshot of Brigadier Ijaz Shah: Bin Laden’s ISI Handler
Brigadier Ijaz Shah (Retd.), one of Pakistan’s most notorious spies, may not be a militant or terrorist in a practical sense of the word, but he is alleged to have
Former Pakistan Army Chief Reveals Intelligence Bureau Harbored Bin Laden in Abbottabad
In spite of denials by the Pakistani military, evidence is emerging that elements within the Pakistani military harbored Osama bin Laden with the knowledge of former army chief General Pervez
Pakistan Seeks Administrative Solution to Terrorism on the Northwest Frontier
Although new changes to colonial-era laws known as the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) are aimed at giving more political freedom to the people living in the lawless Pakistani tribal areas,
Haqqani Network Growing Stronger at the Expense of the Tehrik-e-Taliban
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) seems to be slowly disintegrating as various commanders try to pull it in different directions. A clear indication of this process came when the TTP Commander
A History of Islamist Militancy in Pakistani Punjab
Pakistan’s Punjab Province is home to some of the world’s most insidious terrorist groups and Islamist political organizations. Islamist and jihadist groups, organized under different Islamic sects, have flourished in
Fazal Saeed Haqqani: A New Player on the Jihadi Scene in Pakistan’s FATA
The split in the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on the eve of a military operation in the Kurram agency is a victory for the Pakistan army. In a surprising move, Fazal
Terror’s Puppet Master: Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Sajid Mir
Sajid Mir (a.k.a. Sajid Majid), commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), is perhaps one of South Asia’s least known jihadi commanders. Though details of his background are scarce, knowledge of his doings
Contradictions in Pakistan’s Counterterrorism Strategy Leading to Security Collapse
Few in Pakistan doubt that the United States and Pakistan are headed for a total divorce, at least on the question of Pakistan’s counterterrorism strategy in the near future. A
Pakistani Ex-Servicemen Help Imran Khan Block Supplies to NATO Forces in Afghanistan
As the date for the drawdown of NATO troops in Afghanistan nears, some Pakistani ex-servicemen and cricket hero turned politician Imran Khan are working on a two-pronged plan to prevent
Bin Laden’s Neighbors Say Compound Was Under Surveillance Since 2005
Contrary to statements released by Pakistani intelligence agencies denying any knowledge of the occupants of the Abbottabad compound raided by American Special Forces units on May 1, there is evidence
From Islamist Agitator to Taliban Target: Pakistan’s Maulana Fazlur Rehman
Early Life and Education Maulana Fazlur Rehman was born into a religious family in 1953 in Dera Ismail Khan, one of the more underdeveloped areas in Pakistan. His ancestors came
Pakistani Taliban Widen the Civil War — Against Fellow Deobandis
Two recent suicide attacks in as many days on Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the amir of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazlur Rehman (JUI-F), show that the Pakistani Taliban are further widening their
Sufi Militants Struggle with Deobandi Jihadists in Pakistan
As Punjab governor Salman Taseer came out of a restaurant in an upscale area of Islamabad, one of his bodyguards uttered the slogan “Allahu Akbar” and fired on the man
Islamist Militants of the TNSM Plan Return to Pakistan’s Swat Valley
Fear of a Taliban resurgence is rising among the people of the Swat valley, less than one year after the Pakistan army cleared the picturesque area (Dawn [Karachi] Feb 26,
Haqqani Network Shifting from North Waziristan to Pakistan’s Kurram Agency
Residents in the Kurram Agency of tribal northwest Pakistan believe that the Pakistani military has once again postponed military operations in North Waziristan Agency after its plan to shift the
Floods Wash Out Counterterrorist Operations in North Waziristan
Recent political developments in Pakistan seem to have put a military operation in North Waziristan on the backburner once more. If current political trends continue, the much awaited military operation
Shouting Jihad from the Mountaintops: A Biography of al-Badr Mujahideen’s Bakht Zameen
“Jihad is in my blood. It runs through my arteries and veins. If you take jihad out of me, I will become as soulless as anybody. I inherited jihad from
Half-Hearted Security Operations in Punjab Do Little to Restrain Taliban Attacks
Nobody in the Punjab security establishment was aware of how deep the Taliban had penetrated local society when the police and law enforcement agencies started a half-hearted operation against the
Pakistani Taliban Widen Jihad with Strikes on Fellow Muslims
The local chapter of Pakistan’s Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Islamist political party held a rally on April 19 in the historic Kissa Khwani Bazaar of Peshawar to protest the extremely low gas
Attacks on the Ahmadiya in Lahore Reveal Growth of the Punjabi Taliban
The multiple suicide attacks by the Punjabi Taliban on two mosques in Lahore where members of the Jamaat-i-Ahmadiya had gathered to pray on May 28 hardly came as a surprise.
The Asian Tigers – The New Face of the Punjabi Taliban
The emergence in North Waziristan of the Asian Tigers, a previously unknown jihadi group, has several messages for jihad watchers. Two of them are very important. First, the Punjabi Taliban
Pakistan’s Ongoing Azm-e-Nau-3 Military Exercises Define Strategic Priorities
For the last few years, the Pakistan Army has been slowly but surely drifting away from fighting the war on terror and placing more stress on building its capabilities to
Pakistani Military Launching Counter-Insurgency Operation in Orakzai Agency
A new military offensive against the Pakistani Taliban in Orakzai Agency and Tirah Valley of the Khyber Agency appears to be in the works. It is not clear how big
Kashmir’s Militants May Derail India-Pakistan Negotiations
Islamist terrorism in South Asia, the epicenter of global terrorism, thrives on lasting India-Pakistan enmity. Pakistan would have no interest in using jihad as an instrument of its defense policy
A Guide to Militant Groups in Kashmir
After a few years of relative calm, militancy is slowly but surely resurfacing in the Indian administered state of Jammu and Kashmir. In a smaller-scale repeat of Mumbai, two terrorists
South Asia’s Architect of Jihad: A Profile of Commander Mohammed Ilyas Kashmiri
As the sun set on February 25, 2000, a group of Indian army commandoes allegedly crossed the tense Line of Control (LoC) that divides the former princely state of Jammu
The Growth of the Deobandi Jihad in Afghanistan
Three students from Karachi’s Jamia Uloom al-Islamia left their Islamic studies half way to completion and took a train to Peshawar on February 18, 1980 to take part in the