Internet threats claiming responsibility for attacks have been coming thick and fast of late. In the latest claimed attack by Islamist terrorists in Istanbul, a series of bombings targeted hotels in the city's tourist zones on August 10. Hovering over the incident was the by... MORE

Al-Qaeda's ability to bounce back from intense strikes and a level of sustained attrition that would have paralyzed other insurgent organizations has been well demonstrated. There has also been much discussion, and speculation, on the cell structure of groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and their operational... MORE

Late on July 20 Saudi security forces followed up on a tip that led them to the house of al-Qaeda’s leader Salih al-Awfi in the King Fahad district of Riyadh. Militants inside the house then opened fire and a gun-battle ensued, resulting in the killing... MORE

Real estate prices in Bahrain have registered unusual rates of increase over the last few months as western expatriate workers relocate to the island kingdom, in the hope of finding a more secure environment. Bahrain is considered to offer one of the Gulf’s most western-friendly... MORE

On August 3 one or two gunmen forced their way into the offices of the Rocky Trade and Construction firm in Riyadh and shot Anthony Higgins, a 63 year-old Irish engineer, four times in the head and chest, killing him immediately. Al-Qaeda did not claim... MORE

On June 23 Saudi Crown Prince Abdallah declared on behalf of King Fahd a one-month ultimatum, during which al-Qaeda members should surrender themselves to authorities. A headline figure of half a dozen insurgents responding to the amnesty by the deadline of July 22 spelt an... MORE

Following the pattern of al-Qaeda’s web journals Sawt al-Jihad and Mu’askar al-Battar and the Algerian GSPD’s Al-Jama’a, the Afghan Mujahideen have launched their website magazine Tora Bora. Dated 1st Muharram 1425 (February 22, 2004) the new publication founded by Ghazi Ajmal and edited by Moulavi... MORE

The role of the internet in providing a communications medium for the statements of high profile mujahideen figures such as Bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri and Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi is well known. Many will be aware of the existence of jihadi chat forums as well —... MORE

Recent forum traffic underlines how the Groupe salafiste pour la prédication et le combat (GSPC), the strongest remaining Islamist militant group in Algeria, is suffering severe morale and organizational problems, as the combined stick of military pressure and carrot of a general amnesty, take effect.... MORE

The detonation of an explosives-laden car outside a theater in Doha on March 19 added one more country to the list of Gulf States bloodied by militant Islamist violence. Clearly aimed at a westerner-rich target — expatriates attending a performance of a Shakespeare play —... MORE