Latest Terrorism Focus Articles
Diyarbakr Bombing Marks New Stage in PKK Campaign
The January 4 detonation of a large, vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (IED) in the city of Diyarbakır in southeastern Turkey appears to mark a new phase in the 23 year-old insurgency of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Shortly before 5 PM local time on the... MORE
Al-Qaeda at Year’s End 2007: What Do the Facts Say?
If an analyst in al-Qaeda’s intelligence services or a journalist friendly to al-Qaeda were asked to compile a roundup of news stories from 2007 that support his sympathies, here is what he would write. It would be a reasonably effective and sophisticated bit of open-source... MORE
U.S. Air Base at Incirlik Faces Political and Security Threats
The frequent battles between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) constantly direct the world's focus to the Turkish-Iraqi border area. Over 450 miles to the north and west, however, and six miles from Turkey’s fourth largest city, Adana, lies a prime U.S. asset in... MORE
Turkish Military Strikes PKK Targets in Northern Iraq
On April 12, Chief of the Turkish General Staff Yaşar Büyükanıt said that a cross-border operation into northern Iraq was necessary to better fight the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). It took eight months, over 200 Turkish casualties and several very important meetings... MORE
Bhutto Warns of al-Qaeda Threat to Pakistan’s Nuclear Arsenal
Amidst the ongoing disorder in Pakistan, a nuclear weapon falling into jihadi hands is a grave concern for neighboring states as well as for the global community. There is mounting apprehension in Washington about the security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons as the turmoil in the... MORE
Bin Laden Attempting to Strip U.S. Allies from Anti-Terrorism Coalition
Even before the full text of Osama bin Laden’s 29 November 2007 statement “To the European Peoples” [1] was available, Western officials and pundits were dismissing it as an “old tactic,” “ridiculous,” and as “Osama’s new nonsense” [2]. While such conclusions probably are comforting to... MORE
The Two Faces of Salafism in Azerbaijan
Much has been said about the activities of Salafis (Sunni Muslims who aspire to follow the example set by the first five generations of Muslims) and their organizations in Azerbaijan. However, many news reports and articles tend to portray them as terrorists or members of... MORE
Turkey’s Islamic Raiders of the Greater East Seeking Ties with al-Qaeda?
On November 20, police in the Turkish city of Izmir arrested six suspected members of the Islamic Raiders of the Greater East – Front (IBDA-C). The detainees are alleged to have established links with al-Qaeda and to have been only days away from staging a... MORE
Al-Qaeda, the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and Jihad in North Africa
On November 3, 2007, a new video from al-Qaeda media production house as-Sahab was circulated on jihadi forums. Entitled “Unity of the Ranks,” the video featured senior al-Qaeda leaders Ayman al-Zawahiri and Abu Laith al-Libi. This video marked the announcement of the long anticipated merger... MORE
MKO Uses YouTube to Display Military Prowess
The November 15 report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran’s nuclear program indicates that Tehran is still violating existing UN Security Council resolutions by continuing the construction of a heavy reactor and installing a total of 2,952 centrifuges needed for uranium enrichment.... MORE