Analysis & Commentary
2 Uighur Gitmo Detainees Transferred to El Salvador
The Department of Defense announced the transfer of two Uighur detainees from Guantanamo to El Salvador yesterday. The two detainees were not named in the DoD's press release.
3 Egyptians Killed in Recent Predator Strike in North Waziristan
Friday's Predator airstrike in North Waziristan killed three Egyptians closely linked to the Haqqani Network. The son of the "Blind Sheikh," the leader of the Egyptian Islamic Group who is serving a life prison sentence in the US for the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center, may have been one of those killed.
9/11: 10 Years After
Terrorism analyst Bill Roggio says, "Al-Qaida hasn't so much as become a diffused entity as it has embedded itself into local groups, for instance with the Pakistani Taliban and the Haqqani network in the Afghan-Pakistan border area, and has expanded its reach by establishing regional affiliates such as al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and Shabaab (in Somalia).
Admiral Mullen: Pakistani ISI Sponsoring Haqqani Attacks
During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing today, Admiral Michael Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, highlighted the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence Agency's role in sponsoring the Haqqani Network - including attacks on American forces in Afghanistan.
Afghan Forces, Families are Prime Target for Taliban, Says Commander
A Taliban commander in northeastern Afghanistan who has been hunted by US forces for years and has voiced his support for al Qaeda said recently that the Afghan security forces have now become the number target for his forces.
Afghan Minister Targeted, Unhurt
The Long War Journal, quoting the spokesman, said the suicide bomber had tried to attack an advance party of troops as it stopped for prayers in the province. But the bomber was shot and killed before he could detonate his vest.
Afghan Security Forces Kill 3 ISAF Troops in South, East
An Afghan soldier killed two British soldiers on a military base in southern Afghanistan today, while a policeman killed an ISAF soldier in the east. The Afghan soldier was killed by ISAF troops, who opened fire on the attacker.
Afghan Soldier and Teacher Kill 2 ISAF Soldiers in South
An Afghan soldier and a teacher opened fire on NATO troops in Kandahar province today, killing two soldiers before being killed in return fire. Afghan security personnel have killed seven International Security Assistance Force soldiers in the past 10 days, while the Taliban have killed six ISAF troops during the same time period.
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."
Afghan Troops Ramp Up Attacks on Western Trainers, Threatening Allied War Effort
“It’s sort of a catch-22,” said Bill Roggio, the editor of Long War Journal, a Web site that closely tracks the Afghan war. “Our plan is to turn the country over to the Afghans, which means training them to take over. But they’re killing the guys we have doing the training.”
Al Qaeda ‘Operates in Afghanistan Under the Flag of the Islamic Emirate’: Taliban Spokesman
A Taliban spokesman who identified himself as an "Authorized Correspondent by the Media Committee of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" said that the Taliban will not renounce al Qaeda
Al Qaeda Brokers New Anti-US Taliban Alliance in Pakistan and Afghanistan
One of al Qaeda's top leaders has reached out to the most powerful Taliban commanders along the Afghan-Pakistani border to create a new alliance to battle the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Al Qaeda Leader Ilyas Kashmiri Spotted at Taliban Meeting
A senior al Qaeda leader who is one of the terror group's most dangerous military commanders and strategists, and who was reportedly killed in a drone strike last June, has been spotted at a meeting with the leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan.
Al Qaeda Leader Ilyas Kashmiri Spotted at Taliban Meeting
A senior al Qaeda leader who is one of the terror group's most dangerous military commanders and strategists, and who was reportedly killed in a drone strike last June, has been spotted at a meeting with the leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan.
Ambassador Crocker Objects to Strategic Retreat
Ambassador Ryan Crocker, the State Department’s man in Kabul, is clearly concerned about a premature drawdown of American and Western forces from Afghanistan.
Appeal Denied for HIG Facilitator Detained at Gitmo
On Tuesday, the DC Circuit Court affirmed a district court's decision to reject Guantanamo detainee Shawali Khan's petition for a writ of habeas corpus. Khan's habeas petition was originally denied in September 2010.
Are the Top Two Pakistani Taliban Leaders ‘at Each Other’s Throats’?
According to Reuters, Hakeemullah Mehsud, the leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, and his deputy, Waliur Rahman Mehsud, the leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan's South Waziristan branch, are ready to kill each other.
Assessing Afghanistan
The strategic impact of the Afghan massacre.
Bin Laden Advised Relocation of Some Leaders to Afghan Provinces Due to Drone Strikes in Waziristan
Seven months before his death in a US special operations raid at his hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan, al Qaeda emir Osama bin Laden instructed some of al Qaeda's leaders to relocate to provinces in eastern Afghanistan.
Bin Laden Docs Hint at Large al Qaeda Presence in Pakistan
Two of the 17 documents released by the US government from the large cache seized during the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound indicate that al Qaeda has a much larger footprint in Pakistan than US officials have claimed.
