Latest Terrorism Monitor Articles
Al-Qaeda’s Presence in the Territories
Other than launching Katyusha rockets at Israel in December 2005 and attempting to launch rockets at Eilat from Aqaba in Jordan in August 2005, al-Qaeda has not launched significant attacks against Israeli targets in the Middle East. Al-Qaeda has not been active in the Palestinian... MORE
The Role of Kinship in Indonesia’s Jemaah Islamiya
On April 29, the Indonesian police raided the safe house of Jemaah Islamiya (JI) senior member Noordin Mohammed Top in Wonosobo, Central Java. Noordin, Southeast Asia's most wanted terrorist, eluded capture by escaping only hours before police arrived at his hideout. Two of his trusted... MORE
Islam, Jamaats and Implications for the North Caucasus – Part 1
In the last few years, Russian security forces have inflicted considerable damage on Chechen resistance forces, most notably with the elimination of Chechnya's president, the late Aslan Maskhadov. Like hitting a pool of burning oil with a hammer, however, their military blows have sent the... MORE
Islamic Radicalism in Mexico: The Threat from South of the Border
The ongoing controversy surrounding the debate over illegal immigration and border security issues in the United States, specifically as it applies to the porous U.S.-Mexico frontier and the status of millions of undocumented workers and other migrants that enter the country each year from Mexico,... MORE
Nuristan: Insurgent Hideout in Afghanistan
Nuristan, an isolated area in northeastern Afghanistan, is one of the most dangerous parts of the country. Insurgents wield considerable influence in a region plagued by oppressive rulers and parochial local conflicts. Moreover, the Pakistani Islamic terrorist organization, Lashkar-e-Toiba – a signatory to Osama bin... MORE
Al-Qaeda in Azerbaijan: Myths and Realities
After the events of September 11 and the subsequent war on terrorism, Azerbaijan became one of the active members of the anti-terrorism coalition. Besides providing a small contingent of troops for peace operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Azerbaijani government actively cooperates with the United... MORE
Afghanistan and Pakistan Face Threat of Talibanization
The bilateral relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan remains frozen and is governed by the two countries' geopolitical rivalries, which have unwittingly helped Taliban militancy in the region. As a result, both states are in danger of "Talibanization" (Dawn, April 27). The immediate challenges that face... MORE
Understanding Somali Islamism
The security situation in Somalia flared up dramatically in the past few weeks, following a number of acts of provocation between Mogadishu's newly-formed coalition of warlords, dubbed the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism, and gunmen allied to the Islamic Courts Union. As... MORE
Bin Laden’s African Folly: Al-Qaeda in Darfur
Could a United Nations peacekeeping mission face al-Qaeda's fighters in Darfur? According to Osama bin Laden, if a UN force deploys in the region, al-Qaeda will attack UN troops. On April 23, al-Jazeera television broadcast a bin Laden audiotape in which he called for al-Qaeda... MORE
Emerging Terrorist Trends in Spain’s Moroccan Communities
Recent counter-terrorism operations in Spain have spotlighted an increasing presence of Salafi-Islamists and al-Qaeda "loyalists" in Andalucia and, more alarmingly, in the Spanish autonomous communities of Ceuta and Melilla (located on the northern coast of Morocco). Since the 2004 terrorist attacks in Madrid, Spanish security... MORE