To Defeat Al-Qaeda, Win in Yemen
Bloomberg View June 21, 2012 Yemen, we are told, is the next Afghanistan. Yet with some relatively minor and inexpensive initiatives, the U.S. may be able to keep it from becoming al-Qaeda’s next haven. From the bombing of the U.S. Navy destroyer Cole in 2000 to the failed Christmas Day attack on an airliner over…
The Drone Blowback Fallacy
Strikes in Yemen Aren’t Pushing People into al-Qaeda Foreign Affairs July 1, 2012 Recent revelations that the White House keeps a secret terrorist kill list, which it uses to target al Qaeda leaders, have spurred a debate over drone warfare. Progressive pundits excoriate the Obama administration for expanding the power of the executive branch. Senate…
Arc of Convergence: Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Penninsula, Ansar al-Shari’ah, and the Struggle for Yemen
CTC Sentinel Vol. 5: 6 (June 21, 2012) The May 21, 2012, suicide attack on Yemeni soldiers parading in Sana`a’s al-Sabin Square marked a turning point in Yemen’s struggle against al-Qa`ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and its subsidiary, Ansar al-Shari`a. Coming two weeks after Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi’s pledge to purge terrorists…
The Crisis in Yemen: al-Qaeda, Saleh, and Governmental Instability
Failure to appreciate Yemenis’ local grievances could precipitate a regional crisis.
Militant Pathways: Local Radicalization and Regional Migration in Central Asia
Recent trends suggest growing cooperation among terrorist syndicates in Southern and Central Asia.
Western Errors in the War on Terror
When policy depends on unfounded presumptions, our strategy and security bear the burden.
From Periphery to Core: Foreign Fighters and the Evolution of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
AQAP has achieved an equilibrium between the practical realities of local insurgency and the ideological dictates of global jihad.
Yemen’s Reluctant Insurrection
Government crackdowns in Sana’a and Aden have not sparked a national insurrection–at least not yet.
Fragmentation in the North Caucasus Insurgency
Rather than reverting to secular nationalism, Chechen militants are pursuing a more parochial agenda.
Beyond the Moscow Bombings: Islamic Militancy in the North Caucasus
The Moscow metro bombings reflect the same provocative strategies witnessed in other insurgent theaters.
Yemen: Secession Scenarios
Shifting Sands The LSE IDEAS Middle East Blog Washington, DC — Three months after the failed bombing of Northwest Flight 253, terrorism has become the dominant theme in Yemen’s foreign policy. On 29 March, Deputy Yemeni Planning Minister Hisham Sharaf Abdullah presented a five-year, $44 billion aid plan to the so-called ‘Friends of Yemen’ group in Abu…
Yemen: Is Economic Aid the Best Solution for this Ailing State?
The failed bombing of Northwest Flight 253 has sparked renewed emphasis on Yemen and its role as a sanctuary for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula….
The Trials of Gitmo Military Tribunals
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday heard two cases testing the use of military tribunals in the war on terror….
Dangerous but Distinct Fronts in Terror Fight
Bush and Putin face dissimilar adversaries animated by distinct values and dramatically different agendas…
Kabul Bombings Reveal Mounting Challenged Faced by the Karzai Government
Terrorism Monitor Vol. 3:27 (July 2006) Washington, DC — A bomb detonated outside the Afghan Justice Ministry on 4 July, injuring several civilians and shattering windows in nearby buildings. Three additional devices exploded across Kabul on 5 July, targeting buses carrying Afghan government personnel, as well as an Afghan National Army (ANA) convoy in Pul-i-Charkhi….