Al-Qaeda

France Targets Islamic Extremists in Africa

Recent worldwide attention has focused on France’s domestic counter-extremism efforts. But the country has also been very active in the global fight against extremism, particularly in Africa. Africa’s Sahel region includes Burkina Faso, Mali...

The Foreign Fighter Phenomenon

As many as 20,730 foreigners have joined armed militant groups in Iraq and Syria, making the two countries the most popular destinations for Muslim foreigner fighters in modern history. While garnering tremendous media attention of late, the...

Female Suicide Bombers: What Makes Them Tick?

At one time, it was assumed that it was impossible to study the motives of women who sacrifice their lives during acts of terror, simply because those instances were so rare and isolated. However, as female participation in suicide bombings has...

Qutb: In His Own Words

Sayyid Qutb, (1906-1966) was a prominent Egyptian author and the intellectual father of modern jihadism. Following are representative examples of the frequently violent, divisive and extremist rhetoric characteristic of the man who became an icon of...

Broadening the Cybercrime Front

As evidenced by the recent cyberattack against Sony Pictures, acts of cyberterrorism are increasingly being committed by state actors. From mid-2012 to early 2013, a group called the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Cyber Fighters launched more than 200...

Al-Qaeda’s Hostage Business

Al-Qaeda cells and affiliated groups are increasingly reliant on the money they collect through kidnap-and-ransom operations. Although each group develops its own financial strategy, hostage-taking is a consistent and major source of income for AQ...

December 22, 2014 Jack K.

AQIM: The Schism Between al-Qaeda and ISIS

Evidence of a schism between ISIS and al-Qaeda can be seen in the structure and operations of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). On July 2, 2014 the central region judge for AQIM, Abu Abdullah Othman al-Asemi, released a video expressing support...