In the midst of growing political tensions between Iran and the United States a Shi'ite rebellion in the remote mountains of northwest Yemen has created suspicions that Iran may be attempting to open a new anti-American front to weaken U.S. efforts in the region. Yemen's... MORE

Al-Qaeda's ability to bounce back from intense strikes and a level of sustained attrition that would have paralyzed other insurgent organizations has been well demonstrated. There has also been much discussion, and speculation, on the cell structure of groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and their operational... MORE

A group calling itself the Islamic Army in Iraq has been holding since August 20 two French journalists, Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot. In a 48-hour ultimatum it demanded that Paris drop a ban on Muslim headscarves in schools, originally by last Tuesday night, and... MORE

As a sign of the increased vulnerability felt by Kuwait to the twin pressures of the US-led campaign in Iraq and the spread of jihadist ideology throughout the peninsula, the last month has seen some stepped up anti-jihadist activity in the emirate. Last July, a... MORE

As the number of allies of Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi in Iraq diminishes from the effects of coalition attrition, the loss of one ally in particular is likely to prove highly damaging. Sheikh Abu Anas al-Shami (also known as Omar Yusuf Jumah) was killed on September... MORE

Iran's alleged links with al-Qaeda has eclipsed the fact that the Islamic Republic remains blacklisted by the U.S. State Department as the most prolific state sponsor of terrorism, essentially because of its support for the Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian groups like HAMAS and Islamic Jihad.... MORE

When U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns arrived in Damascus on September 11 to discuss the continuing infiltration of terrorist operatives from Syria into Iraq with President Bashar Assad, he found the country's obstinate young ruler to be almost exuberantly cooperative. Assad's sudden change... MORE

In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Israel was not alone in the Middle East in trying to tie its wagon to the Bush administration's ensuing war on terrorism. Syria, too, sought to underline its own hostility to militant Islam, reminding Washington that it had... MORE

On October 15 the Muslim month of Ramadan kicked off with a crop of attacks, justifying Iraqi fears that the traditional holy month of fasting and prayer has been transformed into a harbinger of violence. On that day a powerful car bomb exploded in Baghdad... MORE

Much has changed since the 1960s and 70s. Back then, there was a whole host of states that could be suspected of funding, equipping or lending more surreptitious assistance to terrorist organizations. In 2004, the list of state sponsors of terrorism has diminished considerably. Born... MORE