By the end of March 2004 – and to everyone's surprise – significant elements of the Shi'ite community rose in open rebellion against the coalition when the firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr unleashed his so-called Mahdi's Army against the coalition. Suddenly, the coalition was faced with... MORE

Violence in Pakistan has gone through all conceivable phases before becoming pinned to the broader concept of global terrorism inspired by Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda after September 11, 2001. Pakistan was born in violence, as communal riots broke out between Muslims and Hindus in 1947... MORE

By Abu Hajir Abd al-Aziz al-Muqrin Translated by Jamestown Translator's Introduction: The following translation is taken from Issue 7 of Mu'askar al-Battar published in March 2004, the online military journal attributed to al-Qaeda. The article, accredited to Abd al-Aziz al-Muqrin, provides a number of insights... MORE

As the violent attacks in Iraq have multiplied, it is becoming evident that the moniker "al-Qaeda" has been unwisely overused, adding to the potentially dangerous misrepresentation that the U.S. and its allies are facing a monolithic and unitary foe responsible for all Islamist violence on... MORE

At a period of uncertainty and fragmentation for the Salafist movement in Algeria, a new publication has made its appearance on the internet. In May, the first issue of Al-Jama'a (The Group) was posted on the website of the Groupe Salafiste pour la Prédication et... MORE

In the aftermath of the Iraq war, Syria captured the headlines of the world press, as the international community asked, "Will Syria be next?" Though it quickly became clear that no such attack was imminent, Syria, nevertheless, has come under intense American pressure aimed at... MORE

Violence in Afghanistan in the past few months has been largely cross-border in nature, originating in Pakistan and carried out by individuals of multiple nationalities who return to Pakistan after striking. Examining the location of recent incidents supports such an analysis. [1] While no part... MORE

The July 30 attacks on the Prosecutor General's Office, the U.S. Embassy, and the Israeli Embassy in Tashkent demonstrate the continued terrorist presence in the republic of Uzbekistan. These forces appear to be directing their efforts not only against the regime of Islam Karimov, but... MORE

New bombings at the gates of the U.S. and Israeli embassies in Tashkent on July 30, and an apparently-aborted political trial in the capital of Uzbekistan, have drawn renewed attention to the specter of Islamist extremism in Central Asia. Three Uzbek citizens were killed in... MORE

The Iraqi insurgency spiked again in August 2004 when Muqtada al-Sadr took the offensive against the transitional Iraqi government of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and the Multi-National Force of U.S. and other foreign troops, as the former coalition is now known. It was optimistically believed... MORE