Latest Articles about Middle East
Why Are Egypt’s Counter-Terrorism Efforts Failing in the Sinai Peninsula?
In October 2011, Field Marshal Muhammad Hussein Tantawi declared, “the military situation in Sinai is 100 percent secure” (Daily News Egypt, October 6, 2011). Four years later, army spokesman Brigadier General Muhammad Samir assured Egyptians that the North Sinai was “100 percent under control” (al-Jazeera,... MORE
Islamic State in Yemen
Since October 2016, Islamic State (IS) has increasingly been on the defensive. The terrorist group is losing territory in northern Syria – including the historic town of Dabiq lost to Syrian rebels – and is likely to lose the northern Iraqi city of Mosul to... MORE
Briefs
MOROCCO: SECURITY SERVICES MAKE GAINS AS TERROR THREAT GROWS Moroccan investigators arrested an alleged jihadist with links to al-Qaeda in the city of Azrou in November. The man, a computer engineer, had disseminated jihadist propaganda and was suspected of involvement in online banking fraud that... MORE
The Chechens Fighting for the Islamic State in Mosul
Analysts who have followed developments in Syria and Iraq have increasingly paid attention to the presence of Chechen fighters in the area since 2013. An influx of large numbers of Chechen militants to Syria created conditions for the appearance of ethnicity-based Chechen armed groups. ... MORE
Al-Qaeda’s New Blood in North Africa: An In-Depth Look at Hisham Ashamwy
Egypt has been one of the least studied and covered theaters of jihad that have emerged in the aftermath of the 2011 Arab uprisings. The comparatively low death toll and resilience of the central state understandably make it less of a priority for both policymakers... MORE
From Hip-Hop to Jihad: A Profile of Italian Foreign Fighter Anas el-Abboubi
On September 28, 2016, the U.S. Department of State designated Islamic State (IS) member Anas el-Abboubi as a Special Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Executive Order 13244, which imposes sanctions on foreign individuals determined to commit acts of terrorism. El-Abboubi is the first Italian citizen... MORE
Chechen Special Battalions Sent to Syria as Reinforcements
The press and government officials in Moscow are applauding the seemingly imminent and total defeat of Syrian opposition fighters in eastern Aleppo. Forces loyal to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, together with Iranian-led and financed Shia militias from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Lebanese Hezbollah, have... MORE
Egypt’s Policies Entrench the Islamist Threat
At a time when Islamic State (IS) is losing ground in Syria and Iraq, its Sinai franchise dealt a blow to the Egyptian armed forces stationed in Sinai. On October 14, the group attacked an army checkpoint in restive North Sinai, killing 12 soldiers... MORE
Chechnya’s Kadyrov Pushes for Reconciliation With Saudis
Several Arabic news agencies reported, on November 21, that Chechnya’s ruler, Ramzan Kadyrov, had apologized to the Saudis for condemning Salafism. News sources said that Kadyrov planned to visit Saudi Arabia to hold talks with government officials. In clarifying his earlier critical remarks, the Chechen... MORE
In Syria, Moscow Orchestrating Another ‘Circassian Genocide’
The Russian government killed or expelled nearly the entire Circassian nation from the North Caucasus in 1864, after this group resisted the Russian Empire’s advance there for more than a century. To this day, the Circassians remember this as their “genocide.” Now, the Russian government... MORE