Latest Briefs

JI Weakened, Yet Potential for Violence Remains

The June arrests of two important Jemaah Islamiya (JI) leaders, Abu Dujana and Zarkasih (also known as Abu Nu'aim), along with their aides, is a major blow to the network and will weaken it significantly (The Jakarta Post, June 25; Terrorism Focus, June 19). Yet,... MORE

BRIEFS

TALIBAN'S VOICE OF SHARIA RETURNS TO THE AIR According to the July 4 issue of Kabul Weekly, the Taliban's Shariat Shagh (Voice of Sharia) radio station is back on the air in several Afghan provinces. The station broadcasts on FM 88.00 and can be heard... MORE

Forum Users Improve Electronic Jihad Technology

A previous issue of Terrorism Focus exposed a jihadi website dedicated solely to cyber attacks against websites deemed anti-Islamic (Terrorism Focus, October 3, 2006). The members of al-jinan.org have targeted websites critical of Islam and Islamic rituals. They have labeled themselves electronic jihadis and believe... MORE

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NIGERIAN MILITANTS PLAN REPRISAL ATTACK AGAINST AGIP Ijaw militants in the Niger Delta have threatened a new attack against Eni subsidiary Agip in response to a recent deadly confrontation at the Ogbainbiri flow station in Bayelsa state. The confrontation began on June 17, when armed... MORE

NATO Strikes Taliban Militants in Pakistani Territory

The covert understanding between the Pakistani government and NATO/ISAF in Afghanistan regarding direct U.S. military action in Pakistan's tribal areas is hardly a secret anymore. Officially, the Pakistani government forbids foreign troops from conducting military operations on its soil, whereas in reality many U.S. missile... MORE

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KURDS RESTRUCTURE PESHMERGA INTO "REGULAR ARMY" A June 13 article in the Turkish newspaper Milliyet reported how Kurdish border guards have withdrawn five kilometers from the Turkish-Iraqi border in response to Turkey's military build-up. The Kurdish troops have withdrawn to six new military outposts in... MORE

Somalia’s Mujahideen Youth Movement

In the ever changing dynamic of contemporary Somalia, the recently established Mujahideen Youth Movement (MYM) has emerged as the most potent militant group. Although there is little substantive information available about the group, its founding or its core leadership, much can be ascertained about its... MORE

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FORUM PARTICIPANT ENCOURAGES ELECTRONIC WAR AGAINST UNITED STATES A May 20 statement in the alfirdaws.org forum called on Islamists to conduct an electronic war against the "enemy." The forum participant prodded the online community with the question: "For how long are we going to be... MORE

Islamist Forum Debates the Fate of Bin Laden

In response to an article posted in an Islamist internet forum entitled "Bin Laden...The Puzzling Disappearance," forum users spent a week discussing the possible reasons behind the disappearance of Osama bin Laden from the international spotlight (https://www.tajdeed.org, May 20). The article was authored by the... MORE

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TURKEY-IRAQ BORDER TENSION ESCALATES On Friday, June 1, the Turkish military announced that plainclothes troops operating inside of northern Iraq were harassed by Kurdish forces in the city of Sulaymaniyah and that, as a result, the acts would receive a response "at the highest level"... MORE