In the 1980's the CIA commenced a vast covert operation to arm the anti-Soviet Mujahideen factions in Afghanistan as a means of turning the Soviet Fortieth Expeditionary Army's invasion of this Central Asian country into a Vietnam-style quagmire. In forging this dangerous new transnational holy... MORE

However paradoxical it may sound, the recent terrorist acts in Uzbekistan were not a complete surprise, either to average citizens in the republic or to political analysts. The horrific economic situation in the republic, the extreme level of corruption exhibited by the state apparatus, the... MORE

Salafi-Jihadists recently posted a recording by the Islamist Arab fighter Abu-Omar Al-Seif on the Chechen website www.qoqaz.com. The recording called for more assistance from Muslims to the Mujahideen in Chechnya in preparation for escalating violence following the election of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The message... MORE

Dear Readers: Jamestown presents this special issue on Maritime Terrorism in an on-going effort to address future threats in the War on Terror. Given al-Qaeda’s explicit goal of targeting centers of world commerce, the vulnerability of many international seaports and waterways presents a grave challenge... MORE

Translated by Jamestown Staff Translator's Introduction The following translation written by the anonymous author "The Brother of Him that Obeys God" was published in the April 17 issue of the online military magazine Mu'askar al-Battar (Al-Battar Training Camp). As stated in a editorial in the... MORE

Southeast Asia has emerged as an important front on the war on terror. The regional al-Qaeda affiliate Jemaah Islamiya has launched two major terrorist attacks since October 2002, and, despite a significant number of arrests, retains the capability for more devastating strikes in the future.... MORE

Introduction On July 1, 2004, the so-called Shipping and Port Facility Safety Code (SPSC) is due to come into the effect. The initiative obliges all states engaged in ocean-going trade to institute minimum standards of security at their harbor facilities and to similarly certify vessels... MORE

Much of the world's economy depends on the security of shipping that passes through a narrow body of water in Southeast Asia known as the Strait of Malacca. Situated between the coastline of Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore to the East and the Indonesian island of... MORE

Afghanistan and Pakistan The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 did not come as a surprise to the Iranian intelligence community, primarily because they had been engaged in their own covert war against the Taliban and its international Islamist allies for many years. Indeed, under... MORE

Introduction Security in southern Thailand has been brought into sharp focus during the past five months as armed attacks have swept across the four Malay Muslim provinces of Pattani Narithiwat, Yala and Satun. In January, Islamic radicals carried out a series of near simultaneous attacks... MORE