Latest Articles about Military/Security
Militant Islamists, Organized Crime and the Balkan Diaspora in Europe
In light of terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13, countries across Europe have visibly increased security measures and are on the alert for more attacks. Countries in the Western Balkans have similarly boosted security after state agencies received alerts from international partners and from... MORE
Islamic State’s Influence Increases in Georgia
Following mid-November’s bloody terrorist attacks in Paris and the ongoing international campaign against the Islamic State in Syria and northern Iraq, Georgian authorities have grown increasingly concerned about the security situation in the Pankisi Gorge area, which is located on the border with the Russian... MORE
Spearheading the Coming Assault on Raqqa: A Portrait of Abu Issa al-Raqqawi
Abu Issa al-Raqqawi is the head of the Liwa Thuwar al-Raqqa (Raqqa Revolutionaries’ Brigade) and a former manager of an agricultural company who could play a key role in defeating the Islamic State in the caliphate’s self-declared capital of Raqqa. Al-Raqqawi’s forces are the main... MORE
A Profile of Syria’s Influential Sunni-Arab Tribal Militia Leader—Shaykh Humaydi Daham al-Hadi Jarba
Over the last two months, an anti-Islamic State offensive conducted by Sunni Arab tribal forces has sought to displace the jihadist organization from two important towns in northeastern Syria’s al-Hasakah governorate: al-Shaddadeh and al-Hawl. These towns serve as major routes of resupply and reinforcement for... MORE
The Road Comes to an End for Ugandan Islamist Leader Jamil Mukulu
Shaykh Jamil Mukulu, the leader of Ugandan Islamist group Allied Democratic Forces-National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (ADF-NALU), continues to be detained following his arrest in April by Tanzanian security forces. His arrest brought an end to the international hunt for one of the... MORE
Putin Cannot Swallow the Turkish Insult—and Cannot Retaliate
President Vladimir Putin is visiting Paris this week for the COP21 climate forum, but environmental matters will not be high on his personal agenda. Indeed, probably the only proposal Russia is willing to consider would be to replace coal with natural gas as the main... MORE
Hot Issue: How DAESH’s Lone Wolf Guidance Increases the Group’s Threat to the United States
Executive Summary On October 18, 2015, a DAESH promoter posted a 63-page English-language manual entitled Safety and Security Guidelines for Lone Wolf Mujahideen on Twitter. [1] Reportedly, three former members of Saddam Hussein’s intelligence service now with this jihadist organization in Raqqa, Syria, produced the... MORE
Was Chechnya’s Leader the Target of an IS-Inspired Assassination Plot?
Experts have paid insufficient attention to news of an assassination attempt against Ramzan Kadyrov at the beginning of November 2015. The reported attempt on the Chechen ruler’s life illuminates what the current situation in Chechnya is like. On November 1, Russian media made the surprise... MORE
Putin Accuses Islamic State of Downing Passenger Jet as Strategic Bombers Pound Syria
In an apparent sudden about-face, the Kremlin has accused the Islamic State (IS) of planting a bomb onboard Russian Metrojet Flight 9268, which disintegrated in midair after takeoff from the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, on October 31, killing all 224 people on board,... MORE
Russia Seeks Further Expansion of Military and Political Influence in Armenia
On November 9, Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov traveled to Armenia. The visit was agreed upon shortly before. The next day, President Vladimir Putin ordered the government of Russia to start negotiations with Armenia on establishing a joint regional air defense system (Pravo.gov.ru,... MORE