Latest Terrorism Monitor Articles
Mujahid Dokubo-Asari: The Niger Delta’s Ijaw Leader
Among the restive Ijaw population in Nigeria's troubled, energy-rich delta region, one man stands alone as the most recognizable face of resistance: Mujahid Dokubo-Asari. Asari has been a central figure in the Ijaw cause, forming in late 2003 one of the delta's most notorious Ijaw... MORE
Turkey’s Dark War: Counter-Terrorism Strategies for the 21st Century
Turkey has experienced a long and painful history of terrorism. During nearly two decades of terrorist attacks and brutal fighting with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), some 35,000 lives were lost. At present, secular Turkey's moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) government faces a... MORE
Preliminary Observations from the June 2007 UK Plots
On June 29, the Tiger Tiger nightclub in London was targeted by a gas cylinder-based car bomb studded with shrapnel—one of two found in central London. The following day, two men, Kafeel Ahmad and Bilal Abdullah, rammed a Jeep Cherokee into the Glasgow airport in... MORE
The Road to Lal Masjid and its Aftermath
It is clear that most Pakistanis wanted Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) leader Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi to be held accountable for his vigilantism and for trying to enforce his extremist version of Islam on society. The public's views have changed, however, now that it has... MORE
The Taliban Fedayeen: The World’s Worst Suicide Bombers?
Suicide bombing statistics from Afghanistan alarmingly demonstrate that, if the current trend continues, 2007 will surpass last year in the number of overall attacks. While there were 47 bombings by mid-June 2006, there have been approximately 57 during the same period this year. Compounding fears... MORE
Obstacles to Closer Counter-Terrorism Coordination in Malacca Straits
According to a variety of observers around the globe, the chances for a terrorist attack in the Straits of Malacca remain high. The fact that the Straits play such a key role in the global economy increases this probability. Not only do the Straits see... MORE
The Militia Politics of Basra
Basra, the second largest and the richest city in Iraq, is at the brink of a major economic and political meltdown. Unless Baghdad succeeds in reaching a compromise over the country's governmental apparatus (especially over the issue of federalism), the southern city may become the... MORE
Nigeria’s Cults and their Role in the Niger Delta Insurgency
In Nigeria's delta region, various militant groups continue to attack multinational energy interests by blowing up infrastructure, siphoning oil and gas from pipelines and kidnapping expatriate energy staff. Additionally, these groups often attack Nigerian security services. The origin of the militant groups in the delta... MORE
Turkey’s Foreign Policy toward Northern Iraq Still Undecided
Turkey has serious concerns regarding developments in Iraq that occurred after the U.S. invasion of March 2003 [1]. The gravity of these concerns centers around the possibility of the disintegration of Iraq along sectarian and ethnic lines that could result in the consequent proclamation of... MORE
Catalonia: Europe’s New Center of Global Jihad
The strengthening of Islamist groups, combined with an increase in jihadi networks and activities in and around Barcelona, underscores Catalonia's status as a European center for al-Qaeda-associated terrorism operations. Statements by al-Qaeda leaders that emphasize Spain's unique "status" within the Global Salafi-Jihad, coupled with recently... MORE