Terrorism

“Normalizing” Suicide Bombing: What the Assassination of Abu Khaled al-Soury Says about Jihadism Today

(Jeffrey William Lewis) On February 23 the Winter Olympics in Sochi Russia concluded peacefully. A terrorist attack by Chechen Black Widow suicide bombers—much feared and highly anticipated by many in the American government and media–never happened. Instead, a significant suicide bombing did take place, but elsewhere and in a different manner that was nevertheless very […]

Bahrain

The War on Terror Jumps the Shark as Everyone in the Mideast accuses everyone else of Terrorism

Juan Cole

(By Juan Cole) In early December of last year, Lebanese Shiite leader Hassan Nasrallah of Hizbullah accused Saudi Arabia of being behind the bombing of the Iranian embassy in Beirut, i.e. charged Riyadh with terrorism. Then in the middle of December, a small terrorist group that calls itself “Helpers of Holy Jerusalem” blew up the […]

al-Qaeda

Obama and the Golden Calf of National Security: Broken Commandments

Juan Cole

(Karen J. Greenberg) In January 2009, Barack Obama entered the Oval Office projecting idealism and proud to be the constitutional law professor devoted to turning democratic principles into action. In his first weeks in office, in a series of executive orders and public statements, the new president broadcast for all to hear the five commandments […]

Human Rights

Beyond the disappointment of Marines: What’s Really going on in Fallujah?

contributors

(By Mustafa Habib) NIQASH visits Fallujah and finds a city in flux. While armed militias control the city and the Iraqi army stands guard outside, markets and shops are still open and everyday life is relatively calm. However it won’t stay this way: more Sunni militants are entering the city, relishing a chance to fight […]

CIA

Assassination by Leak: US floats Trial Balloon of Droning an American to Death

contributors

(By Tim Cushing) Administration Officials Perform Some Very Public Handwringing Over Extrajudicial Drone Killing (via Techdirt) The administration has sort of painted itself into a corner with its new rules on drone strikes. It’s apparently seeking to take out a US citizen who has joined al-Qaeda and is “actively plotting” against the US. Multiple issues […]

al-Qaeda

Daily Show on al-Qaeda & Syria Part Deux: That’s not how Bin Laden would have Killed Them

Juan Cole

This part of the piece has the clip of my interview on the subject at Aljazeera America. Here is the second part of the Jon Stewart piece on the break between al-Qaeda and its former affiliate, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The Daily Show Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily […]

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

Bhutto Zardari: Taliban must be eradicated from Pakistan

Juan Cole

(Via The Economist): Bilawal Bhutto on Pakistani politics: Renaissance man (via The Economist) MODELS in skimpy outfits, dancing around a fiery cauldron in a strange homage to an ancient, pre-Islamic past…is not most people’s idea of how to launch a political career in Pakistan. But Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the 25-year-old heir to one of the… […]

Featured

Another non-terrorist non-Muslim Plane Hijacker: The Sochi Plot

Juan Cole

(By Juan Cole) The Associated Press article on the Ukrainian hijacker who tried to divert a plane to Sochi on Friday is interesting for the words it does not use. (I’m not picking on AP– all the other articles on this subject are like this one in this regard.) This Ukrainian man had political discontents […]

al-Qaeda

Daily Show: How much of an A*hole do you have to be that Al-Zawahiri won’t Work with You?

Juan Cole

Jon Stewart of the Daily Show at Comedy Central covers the fruitless Syria negotiations and break between al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Imagine my surprise when a a clip from an interview I did at Aljazeera America on the issue was included in this piece! Thanks, Daily Show! The Daily […]