Latest Terrorism Monitor Articles

Italian Security and Potential Terrorist Targets

The terror alert level in Italy rose this summer, as a result of the terrorist attacks in London in July. Although Rome has been repeatedly threatened by al-Qaeda for years, and has been consistently spotlighted as a legitimate target, the London bombings have certainly had... MORE

Is Italy Next In Line After London?

Italy has been on heightened alert since the London attacks in July, as information available to the intelligence community points to the country as one of the most probable targets for al-Qaeda’s next attack. On July 14, Niccolo Pollari, director of the Italian intelligence agency... MORE

PAGAD: A Case Study of Radical Islam in South Africa

The threat of Islamic terrorism to the Republic of South Africa (RSA) is surprisingly real. Aside from the possibility of an al-Qaeda strike against U.S. and other Western interests in the country, there are a number of indigenous Islamic networks that have the potential to... MORE

Evaluating the Effectiveness of French Counter-Terrorism

Over the last decade, French counter-terrorism strategy has been recognized as one of the most effective in Europe. The French system emerged from painful experience—unlike other European countries France has faced the deadly threat of Islamic terrorism on its soil since the 1980s. A number... MORE

Reassessing the July 21 London Bombings

The apparent attempted suicide bombings in London on July 21, exactly two weeks after the attacks that left over 50 dead, provided the Metropolitan Police, in commissioner Ian Blair’s words, with its “greatest operational challenge since the Second World War.” The attacks, which the authorities... MORE

The History of Political and Militant Islam in Syria

The rise of political Islam in Syria can be traced to the 1940s, when a Muslim group called al-Gharra entered parliament, creating an Islamic Bloc to oppose the secular and civilian regime of President Shukri al-Quwatli. In 1944, its leaders presented a long list of... MORE

Syria: A Haven for Terrorists?

Are Syrian officials aiding the underground mujahideen railroad to Iraq? The many strong opinions on the matter reflect the different views of Syria’s future, its relations with neighbors, Iraq and Lebanon, and to jihadist and moderate Islamism. Certainly, we need to look at the totality... MORE