Latest Terrorism Monitor Articles
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
Abu Mus’ab al-Suri and the Third Generation of Salafi-Jihadists
The decimation of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood in 1982 had many long-term implications, the most pernicious of which was the emergence of a particularly extreme form of Syrian Salafism. At the center of this is Mustafa Setmariam Nasar, better known as Abu Musab al-Suri (the... 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
Editor’s Note on Syria Special Issue
Syria is an enigmatic country. Ruled by a Ba’athist regime whose top leadership is drawn from a minority religious sect, Syria must contend with the enmity of the West and Islamists alike. This special issue presents a variety of perspectives on this important and controversial... MORE
North and West Africa: The Global War on Terror and Regional Collaboration
Terrorism is not new to North and West Africa. The region as a whole has been affected by a range of ethno-nationalist and religious conflicts, a number of which have been accompanied by highly destructive campaigns of terrorism. The civilian carnage wrought by the Armed... MORE
Securing the Northern Front: Canada and the War on Terror, Part II
This is the second in a two part series on Canada and the war on terror. The information provided by Ahmed Ressam since his arrest in December 1999, sentenced yesterday to 22 years in federal prison for plotting to bomb the baggage area of the... MORE
The Jihadist Movement after London: Diverse Backgrounds, Common Ideology
Few events have provoked such contradictory assessments as this month’s bomb attacks in London. Until recently, the majority of research on terrorism since 9/11 has focused on militants who may have had experience fighting in Afghanistan, thus linking them directly to al-Qaeda. But, the attacks... MORE
An In-Depth Look at the London Bombers
Terrorist attacks on civilians in the heart of London have long been considered inevitable by the UK’s police and intelligence services. For them, the London bombings represent the ultimate security nightmare: young men from Britain’s 1.6 million strong Muslim community willing to kill themselves and... MORE
Understanding the Origins of Wahhabism and Salafism
The phenomenon of Islamic terrorism cannot be adequately explained as the export of Saudi Wahhabism, as many commentators claim. In fact, the ideological heritage of groups such as al-Qaeda is Salafism, a movement that began in Egypt and was imported into Saudi society during the... MORE