Violence and Security

Growing Strength of Radical Islamists in Libya a Direct Threat to West

March 04, 2015

Since the ouster of the Qaddafi regime in Libya four years ago, the country has emerged as a crucial geographic platform for a constellation of radical Islamist groups and activities whose attacks in Africa and the Middle East are showing signs of dangerous expansion against Western assets in Europe and the United States.
British Universities Facing Islamist Radicalism Problem

March 04, 2015

The revelation that Islamic State ("IS") executioner “Jihadi John” is a graduate of a London’s University of Westminster has turned up the spotlight on the serious problem of middle class students being targeted on the country's university campuses for ideological and military recruitment by Middle East jihadi groups.
Austria Reforms Islam Law to Prevent Radical Influence from Foreign Sources

March 04, 2015

Austria's Parliament passed an amendment to the country's 1902 Islam law, aiming to prevent deliberate, external radical Islamist influence in the country by prohibiting foreign funding for mosques and imams, while so protecting civil, political, and religious rights for Austria's six percent Muslim population.
IS Fighting Hearts-and-Minds Battle for Legitimacy as Sole Arbiter of Islamic Radicalism

March 04, 2015

The Islamic State ("IS") is engaged in a hearts-and-minds struggle with competing Sunni and Salafist leaders and institutions in order to establish IS's ideological credentials necessary for sustainable recruiting, durable institutions, and global jihadi activities.
Experts Question Social Media Impacts on Islamist Radicalization

March 04, 2015

Experts are debating how to differentiate the comparative impacts of social media presence, battlefield success, or material conditions as drivers of radicalization and recruitment to Islamist violent extremist groups such as the Islamic State ("IS").
Islamic State Targets Christians for Death as "Polytheists"

March 04, 2015

The Islamic State's ("IS") recent mass beheading of 21 Coptic Christians reflected the Islamic theological concept of Christians as "Polytheists" who, according to Islamic law, must be targeted for death.
Islamic State Continues Targeting Christians with New Hostages in Syria

February 25, 2015

The Islamic State ("IS") continues to target Christians for persecution, kidnap ransom, and death, following last week's mass beheading of 21 Coptic Christians with this week's kidnapping of 90 Assyrian Christians in northeast Syria.
Islamist Fighters Returning to Europe Pose Societal and Security Problems

February 25, 2015

With approximately 20-30% of Europe's estimated 4000 jihadi fighters already returning home from Syria and Iraq, European policymakers now face challenges in finding durable solutions for those returnees, who are a weight on penal systems and a potential security threat due to social fragmentation and Islamist radicalization.
Boko Haram Regionalizes Sharia Push and Jihadi Collaborations in Africa

February 25, 2015

The past two weeks have seen a string of suicide bombings and guerrilla attacks indicating that the hardline Islamist extremist group Boko Haram is expanding beyond its goal of making Nigeria into a sharia state, to a regional jihadi strategy built on collaboration with the Islamic State ("IS") and aiming at establishment of sharia rule across sub-Saharan Africa.
African Union to Mount Regional Force to Combat Spreading Boko Haram Islamist Violence

February 25, 2015

The African Union is forming a five-nation Multinational Joint Task Force ("MJTF") for collective action against the expanding, cross-border threat of the Nigerian violent extremist group Boko Haram.