Al Qaeda
200 Articles
An “Islamic State” of Mind
This post is the latest installment of our “Monday Reflections” feature, in which a different Just Security editor examines the big stories from the previous week or looks…
Any Effort to Counter Violent Extremism Must Deal with Religion
Academically, I agree with the thrust of the Obama administration’s efforts not to invoke religion and thereby lend legitimacy to thugs and criminals. The problem with such a…
Don’t Overvalue a Sunset in the AUMF: Start Talking About the Conditions When Wars Could End
More than six months after American bombs started falling in Iraq and Syria, President Barack Obama has finally submitted his proposal for authorizing the military campaign targeting…
“Gag order” on Military Commission defendants substantially lifted
Very important and welcome news from Guantánamo Bay: The defendants in military commissions cases and their counsel are now free to discuss their interrogations and conditions…
A comprehensive summary of GTMO policy, practices and prospects
It’s all here in the prepared testimony of Principal Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Brian McKeon before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday morning. Most…
Members Only: Al Qaeda’s Charter List Revealed After 13 Years in US Hands
A fascinating bit of evidence about al Qaeda’s early days emerged yesterday during the trial of alleged al Qaeda operative Khaled al-Fawwaz – what federal prosecutors call…
2 Years and 55 Prisoners To Go: It’s Time for a Lot More Guantanamo Review Boards
In 2001, Tariq Mahmoud Ahmed al Sawah, a veteran of the war in Bosnia who’d joined up with al Qaeda in Afghanistan, landed in U.S. custody. Injured by a cluster bomb in the Afghan…
Al-Marri’s End and the Failed Experiment of Domestic Military Detention
In the coming days, Ali al-Marri, former enemy combatant, is scheduled to be released from federal criminal custody, clearing the way for his removal by immigration officials to…
ISIS Fighting Against Taliban: The Enemy of My Enemy Is …?
In a surprising twist, reports are emerging this week that the Islamic State (IS) is making inroads into Afghanistan, and has engaged in fighting against the Taliban there. Afghan…
The Shrinking Military Commissions
Yesterday’s news that the Convening Authority for the Guantánamo military commissions has “disapproved the findings and sentence,” and dismissed the charges…
Avoiding a “Militant Democratic” Response to the Paris Attacks
The dreadful Paris attack, even more than the recent and similar attacks in Australia and Canada, is likely to produce a demand for strong action. This is not only because the…
The Paris Attack and Terrorism’s Next Frontier
The Sydney and Paris attacks are manifestations of the long-predicted lone wolf threat posed by militant Islamism. Unfortunately, there will be more of these kind of attacks to…