Latest Terrorism Focus Articles
PKK Leadership Under Pressure in the Post-Öcalan Era
Every year the number of attacks by and on the guerrillas of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) mounts, seemingly by the day. Relatively infrequently, though, the world is permitted a glimpse of the PKK’s shadowy mid- and upper-level leadership figures, those who have recruited, trained... MORE
Al-Qaeda Urges Iraq’s Insurgents to Consolidate Victory Over America
Nearly a month since Osama bin Laden published his message to “our people in Iraq,” it is worth taking a look at what bin Laden really said versus what the media, Western leaders and some prematurely mirthful pundits claim he said (IntelCenter, October 23). In... MORE
Turkey’s Generals Speak out on Counter-Terrorism Strategies
Turkish journalist Fikret Bila has just released an important work based on interviews with a number of retired Turkish military commanders. Komutanlar Cephesi (The Commanders’ Position) examines the generals’ views on Turkey’s past and present security efforts. Excerpts from interviews with five retired generals were... MORE
Turkey’s Choice with Barzani: The Gun or the Olive Branch
Shortly after the Turkish National Assembly passed a resolution authorizing the Turkish army to enter northern Iraq, President Massoud Barzani of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq (KRG) replied: “If they invade there will be war.” Barzani added: “We are not a threat to Turkey... MORE
Pakistan Loses Swat to Local Taliban
In recent weeks large swathes of Pakistan’s idyllic mountainous region of Swat—a mere 90 miles from Islamabad—have fallen to militants purportedly led by Maulana Fazlullah, whose Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shari’at-e-Mohammad (Movement for the Enforcement of Islamic Laws, or TNSM) shaheen (fighters) may number as many as 4,500. Swat’s... MORE
Terror Attacks Against U.S. and British Embassies Thwarted in Azerbaijan
Escalating threats of Islamist violence in Azerbaijan have prompted a massive government crackdown on militants. For over five years, analysts and political scientists in Azerbaijan have warned of the danger of a growing Salafist (“Wahhabi”) influence in the country. Since the beginning of the Second... MORE
Provision to Turkey of U.S. Intelligence on PKK Highlights Policy Shift
The 2007 edition of the annual offensive of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) against Turkey has displayed the group’s adaptability and its tenacity. It has included a multi-front strategy, with both urban terrorist-style attacks in cities such as Istanbul (Terrorism Focus, October 10) and the... MORE
Bin Laden’s Call to Unite Exposes al-Qaeda’s Strategic Blunders
Last week, several jihadi forums released an audio message from Osama bin Laden chastising the Iraqi mujahideen for their failure to unite to defeat their common adversary. Bin Laden’s message elicited mixed reactions from the splintered factions of the Iraqi insurgency, with some echoing bin... MORE
Tactical and Strategic Problems of a Turkish Winter Campaign in Northern Iraq
As Turkish troops mass along the border with Kurdish northern Iraq, chief of the Turkish General Staff General Yasar Buyukanit has promised to make the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) “grieve with an intensity they cannot imagine” (AP, October 27). While an attack... MORE
PKK Changes Battlefield Tactics to Force Turkey into Negotiations
Recent attacks by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) suggest that the organization is adopting new battlefield tactics in order to increase the psychological pressure on Turkey in the hope of forcing the Turkish authorities to enter into peace negotiations. Since it resumed its armed struggle... MORE