Analysis & Commentary
Defcon 3
FDD's Daveed Gartenstein-Ross discusses terrorism in Europe following the slaying of a British solider in the streets of London and President Obama's speech on counter-terrorism.
Iran’s Extending Influence in East Africa
The Sudan Tribune reported last week that Iranian forces were preparing to train Sudan’s navy. The move was not exactly surprising. In the last few months alone...
‘There’s No Turning Back’: My Interview With a Hunted American Jihadist
The screams have started. On its official, English-language Twitter account, Shebab typically subtweets shots at Hammami (“There is no reason whatsoever for an apostate, once he leaves the fold of Islam, to enjoy the privileges and protection of Islam“)...
US Posts $5 Million Reward for American Suspected of Being Zawahiri’s Emissary to Shabaab
The US State Department's Rewards for Justice program posted $5 million rewards for information leading to the arrest or conviction of two Americans who have served in leadership positions in Shabaab, al Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia.
Why We Should Be Watching the Gulf of Guinea
As Washington has assessed the implications of Iranian threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical energy chokepoint, a crisis has loomed in another critical maritime energy corridor: the Gulf of Guinea.
American Shabaab Fighter Urges Muslims to Join the ‘Fronts’ of Jihad
A previously unidentified American who fights in the ranks of Shabaab, al Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia, appeared on a videotape and urged Muslims to join one of the numerous fronts of the global jihad.
Opinion Journal
FDD's Dawit Giorgis on the Islamist threat to the non-Arab bulwark in north Africa.
Where Should Mali’s Militants Be Detained?
During the course of the intervention in Mali led by France and members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), militants from the north will inevitably be captured.
Another Crisis in the Horn?
Reports coming from the Eritrean capital of Asmara on Monday indicated that rebels had thrown the small country, northwest of the Horn of Africa, into chaos. The rebel troops had captured the Ministry...
Shabaab Executes French Hostage Denis Allex
Shabaab, al Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia and East Africa, announced today that it executed a French intelligence operative who was captured in Mogadishu in 2009. The hostage, Denis Allex, was the...
Alabama Native Omar Hammami Compares Ex-Allies to Hitler, and that Isn’t Even Worst Criticism
Since falling out of favor with his erstwhile brothers in arms in Somalia last year, Daphne native Omar Shafik Hammami’s steady diatribe on YouTube and Twitter has included warnings that his life is in danger.
Shabaab Releases Photos of French Commando Captured in Failed Rescue Mission
Shabaab has released photographs of a French commando who was captured during a failed raid to free a hostage late last week. The French commando, who was initially reported as captured, died in...
Shabaab Kills, Captures French Soldiers During Failed Rescue Mission in Somalia
Shabaab, al Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia, killed one French commando and captured another during a failed French attempt to rescue Denis Allex, an intelligence operative who has been in the terror group's...
Al-Shabab Jihadist More Whiner Than Martyr
Since becoming the most prominent foreign fighter in the Somali armed Islamist group Al-Shabab, former Toronto pizza deliveryman Omar Hammami has turned into a remarkably whiny jihadist.
US Adds 2 Sudanese al Qaeda Operatives to List of Terrorists
The US government has added two al Qaeda-linked operatives who murdered a US diplomat and his driver in Khartoum in 2008 to the list of global terrorists. Additionally, the US Department of State's...
Omar Hammami’s Personal Dispute with Shabaab
Over the past week, a jihadist who calls himself "@abuamerican" and "Abu M" on Twitter launched into a tirade against Shabaab, al Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia. Abu M, who describes himself as a...
Should We Invade Mali to Stop al-Qaeda? Look at Somalia First
The West is moving toward a military intervention in Mali, somewhat slowly yet entirely deliberately, due to concerns about al-Qaeda’s control of territory there. An October UN Security Council...
Al Qaeda Lives
What actually happened in Egypt and Libya on September 11, 2012? The story from the U.S. government has changed many times in an effort to craft a narrative that causes as little damage as possible to...
The Shape of Al Shabaab’s Post-Kismayo Attacks
In late September, African Union (AU) forces surrounded the port city of Kismayo on Somalia’s southern coast. The AU troops stood on the threshold of capturing the city from the al Qaeda-affiliated...
Al-Qaida’s Core is Weakened, but Some Affiliates are Growing
In analyzing how well Barack Obama has fulfilled his promise to "crush al-Qaida,” the rating depends heavily on how you define "al-Qaida.” In interviews with terrorism experts, we found broad agreement that...
