The recent terrorist attack in Iran has exposed the fragility of the country’s security. On June 7, terrorism came to Tehran as 17 people were killed and many more wounded. While the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, dismissed the attack as mere “fireworks,” in reality it shocked the...
The reality behind the cause of terrorism is somewhere in between the failures of integration as a domestic policy level and the consequences of foreign policy in the Middle East. It was another night in London and another terrorist attack on Britain. On June 3, the capital witnessed a horrific...
As Jakarta becomes the latest victim of terror, security forces are finding it increasingly difficult to identify patterns behind attacks. Indonesia has been hit by a suspected suicide bombing, the deadliest since January 2016. The attack occurred on May 24 near the densely-populated Kampung...
The abduction of children in Iraq by IS militants has sent minorities fleeing for their lives. “Infidels, pagans, nonbelievers”—these are terms that Islamic State (IS) militants use when referring to minority groups within their reach. The Islamic State’s offensive in 2014 victimized...
What will you do the next time you hear there’s a major terror attack? News networks swarm our minds with blanket coverage on terrorism, but this footage may be more beneficial to ratings than safety. Television exposes excruciating details, images, replays and sensationalized segments about...
Abdel Bari Atwan’s book is carefully researched and offers new insights into the Islamic State’s inner workings. The digital world has been a central feature of the Islamic State’s (IS) rise to power, driving much of its recruitment as well as building and maintaining its fearsome image....
Wolf’s Lair is a bold political thriller, a rare breed in the realm of contemporary Indian fiction. India traditionally enjoys the reputation of a peace-loving country. Yet its long chronicles have witnessed numerous spurts of foreign invasions and occupations, imperiling the precious...
Turkey has moved from hero to zero. It is now in the eye of the storm. The Middle East has no shortage of dysfunctional states. The fallout of the Arab Spring has left civil war in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya. Beyond them, states such as Egypt and Jordan teeter on the edge of chaos,...
By attacking a nightclub in Turkey, the Islamic State’s strategy may have backfired. The Islamic State’s (IS) bombing of an upscale nightclub in Istanbul on New Year’s has fueled culture wars in Turkey and Israel, and laid bare aspirations among youth in socially restrictive Muslim...
The Abu Sayyaf Group has been involved in a growing number of kidnappings targeting commercial vessels. The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), a Philippines-based Islamist organization, has conducted tens of attacks against vessels in the Sulu and Celebes Seas since March 2016—although since October, it...
Counterterrorism strategy in the Middle East and North Africa can no longer avoid the involvement of women. According to the World Bank, 48.3% of the population in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is female. Yet despite their prominent place in society—and the fact that women and...
Extremism cannot be defeated without the inclusion of women. Women should be encouraged to take a greater role in counterterrorism efforts as women and girls are disproportionately affected by terrorist violence. This was the message brought home in a speech by Sarah Sewall, US...
Terrorists are strategic actors who craft highly rational and carefully designed plans to achieve their goals. The terrorist attacks in March carried out by the Islamic State (IS) in Belgium brought about an enormously emotional response. Mainstream media went into overdrive covering the...
