Violence and Security

Assassinations of Iraqi Activists Expected as Elections Approach

June 30, 2021

Iraqi civil society activists warn that as Iraq’s parliamentary elections in October 2021 nears, there will likely be an escalation in targeted assassinations of the country’s activist class by Iran-supported militias to undermine Iraq’s fragile democratic forces.
Multinational Coalition Warns of Ongoing IS Threat to Global Security

June 30, 2021

The Rome meeting of the 83-state multinational coalition committed to combating IS warned that the Islamic state's ideology and operations remain a clear and present threat to security worldwide, including a resurgence in Iraq-Syria caliphate territory liberated from IS.
French Withdrawal Signals Jihadist Resilience & Expansion in Sahel Region

June 28, 2021

According to The Telegraph, French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to withdraw troops in the African Sahel region after eight years of combat is being dubbed France’s Afghanistan, as a diverse collection of Al-Qaeda- and IS-affiliated militia demonstrates resilience and growth in expanding across sub-Saharan Africa.
Europol Report Flags Pandemic as Opportunity Matrix for Jihadist Terrorism

June 25, 2021

According to Europol's recently released "EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report ", the COVID-19 pandemic has created structural opportunities for an expansion in Islamist extremist recruiting and planning, including the use of digital platforms capitalizing on societal fear and political polarization.
Human Rights Abuses in Saudi Kingdom Increase

June 25, 2021

According to the Middleeasteye.net, the Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI) has called out the Saudi Kingdom for its widespread violations of rights to freedom of expression aimed at silencing all criticism of the authoritarian ruling regime.
IS Reestablishes Religious Police in Northeast Syria

June 22, 2021

IS operatives in northeastern Syria have reconstituted the Islamist terror group's religious police (Hesba), using tactics of threats, physical abuse, assassinations, and the imposition of an Islamic "charity tax," in an effort to reimpose sharia law, extract resources to finance military operations, and revive the political structures of the caliphate.
Arab MENA States Face Coming Decade of Challenges

June 21, 2021

According to a new report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Arab regimes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) face a coming “decade of decisions” in efforts to control the Islamic groups and institutions that function as interlocutors in state-society relations, further complicating efforts at countering violent extremism (CVE).
Pentagon: Clear & Growing Threat to US from Taliban & Al Qaeda

June 21, 2021

Both the US Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff testified to Congress that the Taliban and Al Qaeda have maintained networks of cooperation in Afghanistan that make the two Islamist jihadist groups a clear and growing threat to America’s homeland security.
Mafia Boss Reveals Criminality of Turkey’s Islamist Regime

June 17, 2021

A series of social media videos by Turkey's most infamous mob boss has pointed to the expansive criminality of Turkey’s ruling Islamist regime, with revelations of government-involved narcotics trafficking, weapons transfers to jihadist groups, and targeted assassinations of political opponents.
Afghan Taliban Builds Networks with Central Asian Jihadists

June 17, 2021

The Afghan Taliban are using public ideological statements and operational networks of cooperation with salafi-jihadist groups across Central Asia, China, and Russia, in order to pressure Central Asian states to reject US efforts to secure basing rights for air support to the Afghan government in the wake of American forces’ withdrawal.