Latest Terrorism Focus Articles

Shiite Power Struggle Unfolds in Diwaniya

By:

Since the political bloc loyal to Moqtada al-Sadr abandoned the parliament and government ministries on April 16—in a move to demand Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki set a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops—the Sadrist movement now appears to be tilting toward a more militant... MORE

Afghanistan and Iraq: Two Sunni War Theaters Evolving Into One?

The lack of reliable metrics that can be used to measure progress or the lack thereof in the war on terrorism is a continuing problem. This is particularly the case when trying to assess what appears to be an evolving and common approach to the... MORE

Turkey Turns up the Heat in Northern Iraq

By:

Although a final decision has not yet been made in the Turkish capital of Ankara, preparations by the Turkish armed forces continue for a series of strikes against the northern Iraqi bases that hold an estimated 3,800 guerrillas of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an... MORE

Two Types of Splinter Groups Break from Moqtada al-Sadr

By:

The recent rise of Sadrist splinter groups is a sign of a major shakeup in the Sadrist movement, so far mainly dominated by Moqtada al-Sadr. These splinter groups represent a deep-seated change in the Sadrist faction in both ideological and militaristic terms, which could have... MORE

Leader of 1920 Revolution Brigades Killed by al-Qaeda

By:

The 1920 Revolution Brigades recently announced the death of its leader, Harith Dhahir Khamis al-Dari, nephew and namesake of Harith al-Dari, the exiled head of the Muslim Scholars Association. The 1920 Revolution Brigades is one of the largest indigenous Iraqi insurgent groups, but after al-Dari's... MORE

The Taliban’s Turf War in South Waziristan

By:

A deadly split has opened between the native Pashtun Taliban and non-native al-Qaeda-linked Uzbek militants in South Waziristan, a tribal agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. More than 200 Uzbeks have thus far been killed since the outbreak of fighting on... MORE

Yemeni Sheikh al-Zindani’s New Role as a Healer

By:

Despite being designated by the United States and the United Nations as a "global terrorist," Yemen's Sheikh Abdul Majid al-Zindani continues to be protected by the Yemeni government. Most recently, Sultan al-Barakani, chairman of the ruling General People's Congress Caucus, said that the U.S. government... MORE

Al-Qaeda and Algeria’s GSPC: Part of a Much Bigger Picture

The decision of the leaders of Algeria's Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC) to pledge allegiance to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda has been well-covered. The GSPC's proven combat capabilities, willingness to send fighters to Afghanistan, Iraq and other Islamist insurgencies, widespread presence in... MORE

Despite Setbacks, JMB Remains Resilient in Bangladesh

By:

The arrests of three Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operatives on March 14 in Rangpur and their subsequent interrogations revealed the organization's plan to conduct new terrorist attacks in Bangladesh. The attacks were timed to take place before the executions of six JMB kingpins—including Abdur Rahman... MORE