Jihadists in West Africa renew allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
[caption id="attachment_95401" align="alignnone" width="1024"]...
Abu Omar al-Shishani
Despite Coalition Military Gains, No End in Sight in Anti-IS Campaign
The Kurdish Peshmerga commander sat on a couch at his headquarters in Sulaymaniyah. On a nearby table there was a bowl of dried fruit and nuts. Two large sniper rifles lay on the floor by his des...
Op-eds
Dagestani Jihadist Swears Allegiance to Islamic State, Invoking Backlash
Earlier this month, Rustam Asilderov, a senior jihadist in Dagestan, released a video in which he pledged allegiance (bayat) to the head of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. Asild...
Op-eds
The Islamic State’s Stalled Offensive in Anbar Province
In September, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) launched a devastatingly effective offensive in Iraq’s Anbar province that for a time masked the losses the group was experienc...
Op-eds
The Fight Goes on in Anbar: ISIL vs the World
Over the past week, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has been able to build on its previous...
Op-eds
The Islamic State’s Anbar Offensive and Abu Umar al-Shishani
The recent gains in Iraq’s Anbar province by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have, justifiably, garnered a great deal of media attention. McClatchy ...
Op-eds
Assessing Terrorism in the Caucasus and the Threat to the Homeland
Download the full testimony (PDF)....
Congressional Testimonies
Bombings Hit Russia Ahead of Olympics
Two bombings have rocked the southern Russian city of Volgograd in as many days, just weeks ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Sunday’s attack on the...
Policy Briefs
Chechen Commander Forms ‘Army of Emigrants,’ Integrates Syrian Groups
A commander from the Russian Caucasus known as Abu Omar al Chechen has formed Jaish al-Muhajireen wa Ansar, or Army of the Emigrants and Helpers, and integrated several Syrian fighting units into...
Op-eds
Swedish Jihadist Killed in Syria While Fighting for the Muhajireen Brigade
A Swedish Muslim who entered Syria to wage jihad against President Bashir al Assad's regime was killed while fighting alongside the Muhajireen Brigade (Emigrants Brigade), a group of foreign...
Op-eds
Chechen Commander Leads Muhajireen Brigade in Syria
A commander from the Russian Caucasus known as Abu Omar al Chechen is a key leader in the Muhajireen Brigade, a jihadist group that fights alongside the Al Nusrah Front for the People of the Leva...