Latest Articles about South Asia

Al-Suri’s Doctrines for Decentralized Jihadi Training – Part 2

Training jihadi recruits in the post-9/11 world is increasingly about finding a safe place where training is possible rather than discussing curricula, facilities, selection of recruits, instructors and related tasks [1]. In his voluminous treatise The Call to Global Islamic Resistance, published on the internet... MORE

Three Explanations for al-Qaeda’s Lack of a CBRN Attack

The evidence of al-Qaeda's interest in conducting a terrorist attack with chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) weapons appears compelling. As early as 1998, al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden declared the acquisition of CBRN weapons a "religious duty" for Muslims [1]. He followed up in... MORE

The Ideological Voices of the Jihadi Movement

It is news to few observers that thousands, even millions, of young Muslims are influenced—to some extent—by jihadi literature circulating on various Islamist websites and discussion forums. The mujahideen's use of the internet for communication, indoctrination, recruitment and public relations has been well demonstrated. Through... MORE

The Black-Turbaned Brigade: The Rise of TNSM in Pakistan

Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat- e-Mohammadi (TNSM, Movement for the Enforcement of Islamic Laws) is emerging as one of the most dangerous religious militant groups in Pakistan. Its founder and leader, Sufi Mohammad, is behind bars and the organization was banned in early 2002. Still, its support base in... MORE

The Geostrategic Implications of the Baloch Insurgency

Pakistan continues to grapple with insurgent violence in its southwestern province of Balochistan, which is bounded by the country's tribal belt in the northwest, Afghanistan in the north and Iran in the west. In the northwest, Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) has also been... MORE

A Rewarding Month for Al-Qaeda and its Allies

It has become common in the United States and the West to acknowledge the difficulty of integrating and making sense of the disparate, geographically diverse events that occur in the war on terrorism and to assess which side is winning. The first half of November,... MORE