Latest Terrorism Monitor Articles

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

Al-Qaeda and the Threat to Mass Surface Transportation

The March 2004 attack on commuter trains in Madrid and the three simultaneous bombings on the London underground in July 2005, which collectively killed 243 people, dramatically underscored the acute terrorist threat to mass surface transportation (MST) in the contemporary era. According to the Mineta... MORE

Prosecuting Terrorism: Yemen’s War on Islamist Militancy

Any observer of Yemen's political scene cannot help but notice that Yemen appears to be awash with al-Qaeda suspects. Mass trials follow mass arrests as hundreds of suspects flow through Yemen's legal system. Some are selected for execution and others for lengthy prison sentences, but... MORE