Turkey and HTS: A New Era of Extremism in Syria?
Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2023, Syria is now controlled by an alliance of opposition groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). While there has...
Air quality index
Twenty 9/11 anniversaries
The sleeping giant nods off again
Op-eds
Zawahiri’s Revenge
The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham — which has now rebranded itself "the Islamic State" (IS) — is trying to position itself as the new leader of the global...
Op-eds
The Islamic State vs. Al-Qaeda: The War Within the Jihadist Movement
Co-authored with Nathaniel Barr and Bridget Moreng The post-Arab Spring period has seen extraordinary growth in the global jihadist movement. In addition to the ...
Op-eds
The Long War Continues
In many ways, the reaction to the horrific attacks in Paris has been familiar. There were the expressions of solidarity: flowers at French embassies; social media avatars changed from silly selfi...
Op-eds
FDD’s Schanzer and Zarate Testify about Terror Finance Threats
WASHINGTON, DC – As Congress and the administration explore ways to stem the threat of terrorists destabilizing important regions and attacking U.S. interests and those of its allies, Dr. J...
Press Releases
Islamist Foreign Fighters Returning Home and the Threat to Europe
Chairman Rohrabacher, Ranking Member Keating and members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me here today to discuss the threat posed by Islamist foreign fighters returning home to Europe....
Op-eds
Islamist Foreign Fighters Returning Home and the Threat to Europe
Chairman Rohrabacher, Ranking Member Keating and members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me here today to discuss the threat posed by Islamist foreign fighters returning home to Europe....
Congressional Testimonies
The Islamic State’s Vulnerability
As the U.S. military joins with its allies and temporarily-aligned enemies to fulfill President Obama’s promise to “...
Op-eds
Al-Qaeda’s Offensive Against Iraq’s Sahwa
Co-authored by Bridget Moreng Though it was largely considered a spent force at the time the U.S. withdrew from Iraq, al-Qaeda in Iraq’s (AQI) rebound is by now unden...
Op-eds
Al Qaeda’s Jailbreaks Fuel the Fight
Al Qaeda’s jailbreaks have been an all too common occurrence in the post-9/11 world. And they have directly fueled the fight. Chances are the massive jailbreak in Iraq this week will cause...
Op-eds
Global al Qaeda: Affiliates, Objectives, and Future Challenges
Chairman Poe, Ranking Member Sherman and members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me here today to discuss the threat posed by al Qaeda. We have been asked to “examine the nature of...
Congressional Testimonies
Assessing the Threat to the Homeland from al Qaeda Operations in Iran and Syria
Chairman King, Ranking Member Higgins and members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me here today to discuss the threat posed by al Qaeda’s operations inside Iran and Syria. These ar...
Congressional Testimonies
Canadian Terror Plot Linked to al Qaeda in Iran
Canadian police officials have linked the plotting of two Muslim men to destroy a Toronto passenger train to al Qaeda's network inside Iran. The two suspects, neither of whom are Canadian ci...
Op-eds
Debacle in Benghazi
It’s worse than an injustice; it’s a humiliation.
Op-eds
Why Failed Terror Attack in Jordan Matters to US
Jordan disrupted a major terrorist attack in Amman this month, and security services reportedly arrest...
Op-eds
More Al Qaeda Connections in Benghazi
The Benghazi story continues to evolve. CNN reports that multiple al Qaeda franchises, and others with al Qaeda links, are suspected of taking part in the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack on t...
Op-eds
Suicide Bombings Become Commonplace in Syria
For years, Bashar al Assad's regime sponsored the flow of suicide bombers and foreign fighters into Iraq...
Op-eds
State Department: Iran Supports Al Qaeda, Taliban
The State Department released its annual Country Reports on Terrorism on Tuesday. Once again, the U.S. government has deemed Iran the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. The Iranian...
Op-eds
NCTC Director: ‘We Remain at War with al Qaeda’
During testimony before the House Committee on Homeland Security on July 25, National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) director Matthew Olsen testified that while al Qaeda's central leadership...