Analysis & Commentary - Thomas Joscelyn
Taliban Openly Rejects Goals of Peace Talks
The Obama administration is continuing to pursue peace talks with the Taliban, even as the Taliban openly rejects the goals of those talks. "With respect to talking to the Taliban, the reality is we never have the luxury of negotiating for peace with our friends," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters on Wednesday. more...
The Stories Ex-Gitmo Detainees Tell
Ten years ago this week, the U.S. government opened the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba detention facility. And three years ago this month, shortly after his inauguration, President Barack Obama ordered Guantanamo shuttered within one year. more...
Ansar al Islam Names New Leader
The al Qaeda-linked Ansar al Islam released a statement announcing the name of its new leader. The Iraqi terror group also announced that it would fly a new flag. In a statement released on jihadist websites yesterday, Ansar al Islam named Abu Hashim Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman al Ibrahim as its leader more...
White House Denies Deal to Release Taliban Leader
The Guardian (UK) reported yesterday, citing anonymous sources, that the Obama administration had already decided to release several senior Taliban commanders held at Guantanamo. more...
Afghan Taliban Announces New ‘Political Office’ in Qatar
The Taliban announced today that it is opening a "political office" in Qatar. According to a translation of the Taliban's message by the SITE Intelligence Group, the office is intended to "spread understanding with the international community." more...
US Offers $10 Million Reward for Iran-Based al Qaeda Financier
The State Department announced on Dec. 22 that a reward of up to $10 million is being offered for any information leading to the capture of an Iran-based al Qaeda financier named Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil more...
Iran’s Nuclear Surge Capacity
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta’s comments concerning Iran’s nuclear program have caused quite a stir. In an interview aired on Monday, CBS News’s Scott Pelley asked, “So are you saying that Iran can have a nuclear weapon in 2012?” more...
Taliban Seek Freedom for Dangerous Guantanamo Detainees
The Obama administration is considering repatriating some Guantanamo detainees to Afghanistan as part of a diplomatic effort to engage the Taliban, according to Reuters. more...
Fantasyland Peace Talks with the Taliban
The Obama administration is still pursuing negotiations with the Taliban, even if it doubts a viable negotiating partner sits across the table. And, as part of this ad hoc diplomatic effort, the administration is considering the transfer of Taliban members held at Guantanamo back to Afghanistan. more...
DC Court: Iran Showed al Qaeda How to Bomb Embassies
In a little-noticed ruling on Nov. 28, a Washington, DC district court found that both Iran and Sudan were culpable for al Qaeda's 1998 embassy bombings. more...
Iran Showed Al Qaeda How to Bomb Embassies
In a little noticed ruling on Monday, November 28, a Washington, D.C. district court found that both Iran and Sudan were culpable for al Qaeda’s 1998 embassy bombings. more...
The IAEA Exposes Iran’s Shell Game
In order to fool the U.S. intelligence community when it comes to a nuclear weapons program, all a rogue regime has to do is change the name of the government agency housing it. more...
Al Qaeda IED Cell Leader Denied Habeas Petition
A DC district court released its opinion denying Guantanamo detainee Bostan Karim's petition for a writ of habeas corpus yesterday. The opinion is dated Oct. 12, but the unclassified version was not released to the public until a few weeks later. more...
The Terrorists’ War in Iraq Continues
President Obama’s announcement that U.S. military forces will be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of the year has been accompanied by a renewed wave of terrorist attacks. more...
Mastermind of Deadly Raid on American Soldiers Coordinated Plot Against Saudi Ambassador
The US Treasury Department has designated five individuals involved in an alleged plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the US, including Qasem Soleimani. more...
More on Iran’s Brazen Terrorist Plots
Yesterday, I noted that the criminal complaint filed in the case of an Iranian plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the U.S. includes references to what appear to be senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) commanders. more...
Iran’s Brazen Plots
The Obama administration has accused members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of plotting to kill Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the U.S. And, according to press reports, the putative assassination plot was just one of multiple planned attacks, including possible attacks on Saudi and Israeli embassies. more...
Awlaki’s Law
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has released a martyrdom statement for Anwar al Awlaki, the al Qaeda cleric who was killed in a U.S. drone strike last month. more...
Awlaki’s Death a Delayed Counterterrorism Success
Anwar al Awlaki has reportedly been killed in an airstrike in Yemen, bringing an end to the life of one of al Qaeda’s most effective recruiters. Awlaki had an especially strong appeal in the West, where an unknown (but surely significant) number of recruits joined al Qaeda’s jihad after viewing his sermons in English. more...
AQAP Releases 7th Edition of Inspire
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has released the seventh edition of its Inspire magazine. The publication, which was obtained by the SITE Intelligence Group, praises the Sept. 11 attacks and the events that followed, claiming that the terrorists are bleeding America dry. more...
