Al Qaeda News & Analysis
The Collapse of al-Assad’s Syria, One Year On
From Camp Bucca to the People's Palace in Damascus: How the West created President Julani.
Al Qaeda in the Indian Sub-Continent: Still a Threat to India?
Recent arrests near the Bangladesh border suggest that Al-Qaeda in the Indian Sub-Continent is down but not out.
Zawahiri Killing: A New Twist in Afghanistan
The recent Zawahiri killing highlights how hard it is for Washington to completely quit the region.
Backgrounder: Differentiating between Islamic State & Al-Qaeda
One has altered the Middle Eastern map, and the other has proven far more resilient than many believed possible.
Al-Qaeda and Islamic State Vie for Supremacy in West Africa
Islamic State and Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb are locked in a fierce competition for one of the most lucrative frontiers of global jihad: West Africa.
Al-Qaeda Struggles to Make Inroads in India
Al-Qaeda has chosen India as a key pivot in its South Asia strategy.
A New Image for an Old Al-Qaeda
Pressured by Western governments and Islamic State, Al-Qaeda is undergoing a transition as it struggles to remain relevant in the global movement it helped to create.
Analysis: Belmokhtar’s Death a Boost for Islamic State in Libya
If Mokhtar Belmokhtar is confirmed to have been killed by a US airstrike over the weekend, it would remove an obstacle keeping the al-Mourabitoun from pledging its allegiance to Islamic State.
Al-Shabaab: A Complex and Resilient Threat
Military responses to the al-Shabaab Garissa attacks in Kenya are doomed to fail.
Amid a Deepening Civil War, US Pulls Troops from Yemen
Washington just lost its ‘boots on the ground’ on the next major front in the war against Sunni extremism.
Blowback: Charlie Hebdo and the Contradictions of Western Policy
John Rosenthal argues that recent Western foreign policy missteps in Libya and Syria have fueled the rise of radical Islam.
Navigating the Charlie Hebdo Punditry Chorus
Neither conservatives nor liberals have got it totally right in the post-Charlie Hebdo editorial space.
Boko Haram’s Abubakar Shekau: Dead or Alive?
Rumors are circulating that Boko Haram’s mysterious leader Abubakar Shekau has been killed. If true, how will this impact the group’s operations?
Yemen Quietly Descends into Chaos
If you asked a State Department employee what their worst-case scenario for the Middle East was five years ago, the response might have described what is currently unfolding across the region.
Libya in 2014: Back on the Road to Dictatorship
The most recent outbreak of fighting may just sound the death knell for the post-Qadhafi order in Libya. Now the question becomes: who will be the one to defeat the militias and seize power by force?
Does Nigeria’s GDP Rebasing Suggest a Power Shift in Africa?
Nigeria recently received a big GDP boost in the official books, overtaking South Africa as the continent’s largest economy. But can the government in Abuja compete with the Rainbow Nation on the diplomatic front?
Despite Instability, Algeria Remains Revolution-Proof
Algeria has remained so resilient to the political forces that swept through neighboring states. Why?
What Will a Post-NATO Afghanistan Look Like?
Examining some possible scenarios should NATO forces completely withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014.
Indian Mujahideen: The Face of “New Terrorism” in India?
Examining the organizational structure of Indian Mujahideen and asks whether the recent arrests of the organization's leaders will affect its operational capacity.
Syrian Spillover: Violence Surges in Iraq
How will the ongoing civil war in Syria is impact sectarian tensions in Iraq?
