Latest in Al Qaeda
If Al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri is in fact dead, where will al-Qaida go next and what kind of movement will Zawahri’s successor inherit?
On Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at 11:00 a.m., the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism will hold a hearing on the threat from the Islamic State and Al Qaeda. The committee will hear testimony from Michael Morrell, the former acting director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and Amb. Tina Kaidanow, the former State Department coordinator for counterterrorism.
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Editor’s Note: Myanmar has produced one of the world's worst human-made humanitarian crises, with the government there persecuting the Rohingya, a Muslim minority, with thousands dying and hundreds of thousands being displaced. C. Christine Fair, my Georgetown colleague, warns that violence related to this crisis may grow over time. A range of radical groups are focusing on the Rohingya, as are political leaders seeking to burnish their Islamist credentials. All this may produce violence in the years to come.
Daniel Byman
Editor’s Note: Fighting terrorism online is one of those ideas that everyone agrees with in principle but disagrees on in practice. What should be regulated and who should do so are among the many areas of disagreement. Zann Isacson of Georgetown examines the different actors that might play a role, including Congress, technology companies and of course the executive branch, and assesses what each might bring to the table.
Daniel Byman
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Editor’s Note: Despite the size of its population and growing importance, Bangladesh gets little attention in policy circles. This is true even though radical terrorist groups like the Islamic State are making inroads there. To help remedy this neglect, my Georgetown colleague Christine Fair presents an overview of Islamism in Bangladesh and assesses the terrorism threat there today.
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Every unhappy terrorist movement is unhappy in its own way, and the global jihadist movement is no exception. Disagreements over targeting, tactics, organization and the fundamental question of what it means to be a good Muslim have plagued the movement since its inception and remain a source of weakness.
The New York Times reports that the Justice Department has brought Al Qaeda suspect Ali Charaf Damache to Philadelphia to face prosecution in federal court, where a grand jury indicted him in 2011. The full indictment can be found below.
In a previous post, I argued that the organization of Al Qaeda declined even as the movement it championed remains robust.
Al Qaeda’s power and influence have fallen considerably from its peak in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, but several well-respected analysts suggest the group remains strong and may resurge. My Georgetown colleague Bruce Hoffman argues that as the West focuses on the Islamic State, Al Qaeda is rebuilding and plans to assert control after the caliphate’s defeat.