Latest Briefs

Malaysia and Thailand Wrangle over Chief Terrorist

On January 26 came official confirmation from Malaysia that Thailand's most-wanted Islamist terror suspect, Abdul Rahman Ahmad, known in Thailand both as Doramae Kuteh and Chae Kumae Kuteh, had been arrested. He is considered to be the leader of the New Pulo separatist group and... MORE

Thailand’s Election Results Bring Discouraging News for the South

Another surge of violence in Thailand's south since Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra won his second term on February 6 augurs ill for the region's future. On February 10 a bomb attempt on Governor Pracha Tehrat and senior army and police officers attending a military parade... MORE

Kazakhstan Islamist Militancy on the Rise

Kazakhstan Today reported on February 11 that police in the Manghistau region arrested a militant from a Wahhabi organization Taza Islam (Pure Islam). They also confiscated audiotapes, extremist literature, leaflets calling to perpetrate terrorist acts, some explosives — a sack of carbide and toluene cartridges... MORE

Baasyir Trial Continues in Indonesia

On February 8 the court in Jakarta reconvened, as scheduled, in the case against Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Baasyir, for his alleged engagement in terrorism related acts. This is the second time the 66-year old Baasyir has been put on trial, having been cleared in... MORE

Registration for Pakistani Militants

The Pakistan government has begun to compile a central registry of militants and extremists along with the details of the groups with which they are affiliated. According to a February 9 report in the Pakistani Daily Times, the lists will include those working in the... MORE

Forum Jitters on the Capture of Bin Laden

Participants to a jihadist forum have been troubled by another scare story that bin Laden has been arrested. Iranian websites, apparently quoting American officials, said that Osama bin Laden had been arrested in the beginning of February by Iranian forces, while moving along the border... MORE

Libyan Islamists under Pressure

On February 24 the jihadist al-Qal'ah forum (www.qal3ati.net) ran a brief note on breaking events in Libya. Under the rubric: "Your brothers in Libya need your prayers," a contributor to the forum explained that: "For a week now, right up to the present hour, a... MORE

Evidence of Jemaah Islamiyah Expansion in the Philippines

Philippine intelligence searching for suspects for the February 14 bomb attacks in Makati, Davao and General Santos - detailed in the last edition of Terrorism Focus - claim to have been swamped with raw information on plots to bomb shopping malls and transport systems. They... MORE

Iraqi Propaganda War Begins in Earnest

Taking a leaf out of the Idarat al-Tawahhush, "The Management of Barbarism," (see "New Book Lays Out al-Qaeda's Military Strategy" in this issue) and the need to understand ‘the rules of the game' — particularly the need to sidestep traditional media channels to send the... MORE

Clashes in Saudi Arabia

U.S. warnings a week ago of an increased threat of attack to its residents in Jeddah were borne out on March 14 with news of a clash between Saudi security forces and suspected Islamist militants. As forces raided a residential building housing a wanted Islamist... MORE