Leaving Afghanistan
There’s not much time left to mitigate the consequences
Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Donald Trump’s Silence on Al-Qaeda Is Deafening
The administration is still going after terrorists even as it claims to be ending ‘endless war.’
Op-eds
The Turkish-Qatari Axis Challenges Washington
Turkey and Qatar have become brothers in arms, pursuing joint ventures in illicit finance and promoting extremist ideologies. Washington needs to develop a multipronged response to compel Ankara and Doha to curb their malign conduct.
Op-eds
Brothers in Arms
The Consolidation of the Turkey-Qatar Axis
Monographs
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed himself during raid, U.S. says
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, is dead, according to the White House. President Donald Trump announced Baghdadi’s death earlier today, saying “U.S. Special Operations forces...
Op-eds
Airstrike targeted Al Qaeda leadership in Syria, U.S. military says
Jihadis say a U.S. airstrike hit this location in Idlib, Syria earlier today. The American military conducted an airstrike against al Qaeda in Syria (AQ-S) “leadership at a facility north of Idlib, Syria”...
Op-eds
U.S. announces rewards for 3 Islamic State leaders
On Aug. 21, the US State Department Rewards for Justice Program announced rewards of up to $5 million each for three wanted Islamic State (ISIS) leaders: Sami Jasim Muhammad al-Jaburi, Amir Muhammad...
Op-eds
Al Qaeda veteran reportedly killed in Idlib
Jihadists shared this photo of the car Abu Khallad al-Muhandis was in when an explosion caused his demise. Al Qaeda-affiliated Telegram channels reported earlier today that Abu Khallad al-Muhandis, a veteran...
Op-eds
Shabaab’s jihad against the ‘leaders of disbelief’
Shabaab’s latest video features a clip of Ayman al-Zawahiri criticizing “corrupt regimes” that are allied with America. Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, has released a lengthy video that...
Op-eds
How to Win Friends and Wage Jihad
Understanding al Qaeda’s Pragmatism
Op-eds
U.S. bases in Iraq targeted in rocket attacks
US troops in Iraq have been targeted three times in mortars and katyusha rocket strikes since last weekend. The attacks have occurred in the middle of rising tensions between the United States and Ira...
Op-eds
Assad’s forces battle jihadists for key terrain in Latakia
For more than a week, forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad have attempted to capture Kabani, a key location in the coastal Latakia province. Assad’s men have met stiff resistance from jihadists in the ar...
Op-eds
Caliphate, interrupted
After being bombarded by four years of U.S. airstrikes, a relentless ground campaign by Kurdish-led U.S. allies, and attacks from Russian, Syri...
Op-eds
U.S.-backed forces declare end to Islamic State’s physical caliphate
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Op-eds
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and Hurras al-Din reach a new accord
On Feb. 10, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Hurras al-Din (HAD) reached a new accord. The agreement was forged after nearly two weeks of vitriolic debate — the latest in a series of disagreements...
Op-eds
Trump Once Called the Taliban Five ‘Killers.’ Now He’s Negotiating With Them
Negotiating with terrorists won’t bring peace to Afghanistan.
Op-eds
Iraqi Militant Qayis Khazali Warned Us About Iran. We Ignored Him.
Iran has its tentacles all over Iraq, and the United States has no one to blame but itself. It is a bipartisan failure dating back to the March 2003 invasion. Even after the Bush administration a...
Op-eds
What’s at stake in Syria
Syria is a far-away land about which we know little. But we do know this: Over the past seven years, more than a half million people have been slaughtered there, with an estimated 150 murder...
Op-eds
Catch and Release: Did Qatar Free a Future al-Qaeda Emir?
Farouq al-Qahtani al-Qatari, a core al-Qaeda official and senior planner of terrorist attacks from Afghanistan against the U.S. homeland, is now dead. ...
Op-eds
Three Immediate Priorities for McMaster
In 2005, Colonel Herbert McMaster prioritized victory above promotion. Attempting to secure Tal Afar, a city in northern Iraq, McMaster faced a big problem: He was witnessing an insurgency that w...