Analysis & Commentary
Catastrophic Consensus: A Dissent From Spengler and Mead
Spengler (aka David Goldman) is one of my close friends and a long-time guru. William Russell Mead is just a guru, but I’m an avid fan. So when I find myself disagreeing...
Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia
Daveed Gartenstein-Ross joins me to discuss Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia (AST). We talk about AST's background, operations, and the recent events surrounding the government crackdown...
Tunisia’s Salafist Tangle and the Long Road to Stability
In their most aggressive move yet, the Tunisian government blocked a Salafist rally from taking place in the holy city of Kairouan on Sunday, with the aid of 11,000 policemen and heavy security cordons.
Tensions Continue to Escalate in Tunisia
Almost two months after Tunisia's prime minister and the head of Ansar al Sharia Tunisia, an al Qaeda-linked organization, traded barbs in the press and online, tensions have escalated once again...
Tunisian Indicted in New York Linked to Canada Terror Plot
Today authorities in New York, including the NYPD, FBI, and US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the arrest of Tunisian national Ahmed Abassi for links...
The Loopcast
FDD's Daveed Gartenstein-Ross discusses Salafism in Tunisia and its history, current trends, and political implications.
Holy Wars
In much of what we now call the Muslim world, Muslims are fighting Muslims. The conflicts fall into two broad categories: those in which militants battle militants, and those in which militants battle moderates. The outcomes of these conflicts matter.
Why is Ansar al-Sharia Tunisia’s Leader Threatening the Government?
Yesterday, Ansar al-Sharia Tunisia’s fugitive leader Abu Iyad al-Tunisi (Saif-Allah Benahssine) issued a bellicose statement threatening the overthrow of Tunisia’s government if it interfered with AST.
War of Words Escalates in Tunisia
In an interview published by Le Monde on March 26, Tunisian prime minister Ali Larayedh reiterated his criticisms of the Salafi jihadists who have grown stronger throughout his country. Ali Larayedh accused Ansar...
Islamist Vigilantism Threatening Tunisia’s Future
In a piece for Foreign Policy, David Gartenstein-Ross urges the U.S. and the international community to press Tunisian officials to prosecute vigilantes responsible for acts of violence , obstruction...
Springtime for Salafists
In mid-March, a 19-year-old Tunisian activist named Amina Tyler posted several topless photographs of herself on Facebook. In one pose, the dark-haired Amina is set against a black background, wearing lipstick and eye shadow.
Did Tunisia’s Salafi Jihadists Just Announce Their Allegiance to al-Qaeda?
On Friday, Magharebia came out with a report that has already garnered attention among those who follow jihadist militancy. The publication claims that Tunisia’s salafi jihadists have just announced their allegiance (bayat) to al-Qaeda:
Ansar al-Sharia Tunisia’s International Connections
Ansar al-Sharia Tunisia (AST) is the most prominent jihadist organisation in Tunisia, sharing al-Qaeda’s worldview, and yet its strategy is currently more focused on dawa (missionary work) than on carrying out violent acts.
Tunisian ‘Martyrs’ Celebrated by Ansar al Sharia
In early February, a video of an interview with Ansar al Sharia Tunisia's leader Seifallah ben Hassine (a.k.a. Abu Iyad al Tunisi) was released online after it had been banned by government officials. Hassine...
The Impact of Systemic Factors
In their contribution to a new study on the Arab Uprisings and climate change that has recently received a great deal of attention, David Michel and Mona Yacoubian of the Stimson Center note that much...
Ansar al Sharia Tunisia Launches New Website
Ansar al Sharia Tunisia, the al Qaeda-linked extremist group responsible for the Sept. 14, 2012 assault on the US Embassy in Tunis, has launched a new website. The group advertised the impending launch...
Uncharitable Organizations
In 1997, employees of the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation (AHIF), a Saudi-based charity, were mulling how best to strike a blow against the United States in East Africa. According to the U.S. Treasury Department...
News Update
FDD's Khairi Abaza says that the violent protests in Tunisia are a response to a slain opposition leader and concern of an Islamist regime.
Ansar al Sharia Tunisia Calls for Islamist Solution to Political Crisis
The assassination of a prominent opposition leader has sparked a political crisis in Tunisia. Chokri Belaid, a politician who had spoken out against the ruling Islamist Ennahda party and Salafists, was shot dead...
The John Batchelor Show
Ansar al Sharia Tunisia's threats to France and al Nusrah Front in Syria.
