Latest Terrorism Monitor Articles

Energy Security and the PKK Threat to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline

In the wake of the conflict in Georgia, the future of energy transportation from the Caspian basin and Central Asia to world markets is once again on the agenda. By looking at the attack by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline... MORE

Attacks in Yemen Reflect al-Qaeda’s Global Oil Strategy

Recent attacks by al-Qaeda’s Yemeni branch, Kataeb Jund al-Yemen (Soldiers of Yemen Brigades), against oil facilities across Yemen indicate that al-Qaeda’s larger strategy to strike oil targets remains a top priority. On June 30 the group took credit for rocket attacks against an oil refinery... MORE

The Mumahidun: Muqtada Al-Sadr’s New Militia

The Mahdi Army, the Shia militia loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr, has recently undergone a significant transformation. On August 28, al-Sadr suspended the armed operations of the Mahdi Army (al-Jazeera, August 28). Al-Sadr's latest statement on the Mahdi militia follows a similar call in early August... MORE

Terrorism and Piracy: The Dual Threat to Maritime Shipping

In the global war on terror, international attention has largely been focused on terrestrial operations, but the sea remains a fertile ground for attack. As in many terror attacks in Afghanistan and Iraq, the favored tool of maritime terrorists is the suicide bomber, piloting a... MORE