Violence and Security

Islamist Extremists Operating in Philippines Collect Ransom to Release German Hostages

October 22, 2014

Islamist extremists linked to al-Qaeda in the Philippines collected a ransom of more than $5 million for the release of two German hostages taken on the island this past spring.
Violent Islamist Extremism Penetrates NATO as IS/ISIS Active Inside Turkey

October 22, 2014

The Islamic State (“IS/ISIS”) appears to be operating with relative impunity inside NATO's borders, as evidenced by a recent ISIS operation cutting across three Turkish towns and aiming to kidnap a top anti-Assad Syrian resistance fighter.
Pakistani Taliban Turn to IS Reflects Complex Globalization of Violent Islamism

October 22, 2014

Last week's pledge of allegiance to Islamic State (“IS”) self-proclaimed caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi by the chief spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban and five Taliban regional commanders points to the incremental globalization of IS support, as well as to the intensifying competition amongst violent extremist Islamist groups for hegemony inside Pakistan.
Arab Gulf Monarchies Confront Consequences of Own Support for Radical Islamism

October 22, 2014

Cascading violence and instability in the Middle East driven by the expansion of Islamic State (“IS/ISIS”) ground actions is provoking complicated domestic discussions in Arab Gulf monarchies over both the consequences and possible correctives to their regimes' support for competing Islamist movements – from the Muslim Brotherhood, to al-Nusra Front, to al-Qaeda, to IS/ISIS.
Kurds and Islamists Battle in German City Streets over IS Assault on Kobani

October 17, 2014

Violent street clashes took place over the last week in Hamburg, Germany's second-largest city, between Kurds protesting Islamic State ("IS") attacks on the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani and Salafist Islamist sympathizers to the jihadi activities of IS.
Chinese Rule of Law and Due Process Challenges Raise Doubts about Government Counter-Terrorism Measures

October 17, 2014

The significant procedural shortcomings relating to China's recent prosecution and conviction of Uighur Muslim assailants allegedly driven by Islamist separatist ideology in the killings of Xinjiang citizens highlight the importance of distinguishing between legitimate and repressive counter-terrorism measures in China and elsewhere.
Islamic State Website May Change Iceland's Internet Freedom Paradigm

October 17, 2014

A website using the domain name of the jihadist movement Islamic State (“IS”) and running videos of IS hostage executions has been shut down by Iceland's official internet provider, signaling that Iceland may consider changing its international leadership position on Internet freedom in response to threats from the globalization of violent Islamism.
Western Jihadists Decry Coalition Attacks on Islamic State

October 17, 2014

In a collection of interviews with CBS news, Western jihadists fighting for the expansion and consolidation of The Islamic State (“IS”) defend the idea of an Islamist theocracy and decry coalition military attacks on IS.
Jihadi Islamists Increase Attacks in West Africa

October 17, 2014

A jihadi Islamist group known as The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa has been ratcheting up attacks on United Nations Peacekeepers and civilians in Mali and its West African neighboring countries.
American Jihadist Discusses Support for Radical Islamism

October 17, 2014

A Somali American who joined Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda franchise fighting against the Syria regime of Bashar al Assad, told a CBS news interviewer why he supports militant Islamism in its battle against the United States.