Though most famous for funding and organizing suicide bombings and beheadings in Iraq, Ahmad Fadil Nazal al-Khalaylah – aka Abu Musab al-Zarqawi – has long assumed a leading role in terrorist operations in other countries, including his native Jordan. An East Banker and a member... MORE

With Russia once again threatening pre-emptive strikes on "terrorist" installations in Georgia's Pankisi Gorge, it seems timely to re-examine the alleged activities of Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in the region several years ago. The Pankisi Gorge is a river valley about 34 km long... MORE

In the span of just eighteen months, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has emerged from obscurity to eclipse Osama bin Laden as public enemy number one in the Bush administration's war on terror. Less gifted than bin Laden in nearly every way, Zarqawi rose to become the... MORE

Islamists have been known to be active in the Netherlands for at least the past decade. Their activities have been reported in various documents by the Dutch authorities [1], especially the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD), whose first public statements date back to 1991.... MORE

Recently there have been reported sightings of al-Qaeda operatives in Honduras. According to some observers, their alleged presence in that country conforms to their desire to secure land routes to the United States, through collaboration with Central American gangs. This report, compiled with the assistance... MORE

In many ways, Bangladesh seems an excellent place for al-Qaeda to find sanctuary in the decisive years ahead. It is an impoverished Islamic nation, politically weak and backward in its economic development. Its ports have been active hubs for transnational crime, including weapons running. [1]... MORE

More than three years after their ouster, the Taliban are still a coherent organization even though they are beset by serious political, military and financial problems. However, they are used to surviving on the bare minimum and can still count on the unconditional loyalty of... MORE

"Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they aren't out to get you" was a popular American political catchphrase at the time of the Watergate scandal of thirty years ago. It has new applicability to the consideration of the terrorist threat in Central Asia. In... MORE

As the landmark Iraqi elections loom closer, the fate of a controversial and often misunderstood Iranian opposition group hangs in the balance. The formerly armed Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) has been based in Iraq for twenty years with regime change as its exclusive cause. Not... MORE

Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (Corp of the Prophet's Companions), a militant Islamist organization and the largest sectarian outfit in the country, was outlawed by President Pervez Musharraf on January 12, 2002 for its alleged involvement in terrorist related activities. More than 1,500 of its members were arrested... MORE