Bowe Bergdahl

September 20, 2021 | Jonathan Schanzer |

The Bizarre Positive Biden Spin on Afghanistan

No, the Taliban are not America’s partners

September 15, 2021 | Bill Roggio |

Taliban lionizes Haqqani commander who celebrated ties to Al Qaeda, held American hostage

The Taliban feted one of its famed commanders, Mullah Sangeen Zadran, on a new billboard that also showed Bowe Bergdahl, an American soldier who was held hostage by Sangeen and the Taliban for nearly five...

September 8, 2021 | Bill Roggio, Thomas Joscelyn

Taliban’s government includes designated terrorists, ex-Guantanamo detainees

The Taliban has announced the formation of an “interim government” to rule over Afghanistan. The Taliban’s regime will be known as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. This is entirely unsurprising....

May 23, 2019 | Thomas Joscelyn |

John Walker Lindh fought for al Qaeda’s pro-Taliban force

John Walker Lindh, an American who fought on the side of the jihadists in Afghanistan both before and after 9/11, was released from prison earlier today. In late 2001, Lindh and his fellow fighters surrendered...

November 28, 2018 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Trump Once Called the Taliban Five ‘Killers.’ Now He’s Negotiating With Them

Negotiating with terrorists won’t bring peace to Afghanistan.

August 21, 2017 | Thomas Joscelyn, Bill Roggio

Sending More Troops To Afghanistan Is a Good Start

In a primetime speech Monday evening, President Trump is expected to announce the deployment of several thousand more American troops to Afghanistan. We doubt this will be enough to win the war,...

May 11, 2017 | Jonathan Schanzer

By Hosting Hamas, Qatar is Whitewashing Terror

After getting booted from their first two hotels in Qatar over concerns of violating U.S. terror finance sanct...

April 21, 2017 | Jonathan Schanzer

Time for the US to stop Qatar’s support for terror

Secretary of Defense James Mattis is on a Mideast tour to “continue efforts to strengthen regional security architectures.” While his meetings in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel are li...

January 30, 2017 | Thomas Joscelyn

The Final Obama Scandal

Co-written by Stephen F. Hayes.  Less than 24 hours before the official end of the Obama presidency, while White House staffers were pulling pictures off the walls and cle...

January 4, 2017 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Russia’s New Favorite Jihadis: The Taliban

More than 15 years into America’s war in Afghanistan, the Russian government is openly advocating on behalf of the Taliban. Last week, Moscow hosted Chinese and Pakistani e...

May 31, 2016 | Thomas Joscelyn The Long War Journal |

Analysis: Iran has supported the Taliban’s insurgency since late 2001

On May 21, an American drone strike ended Mullah Akh...

April 27, 2016 | David Weinberg

Obama is Right: The Gulf Arabs Ride Free on Terrorism

President Obama missed the last real opportunity of his administration to urge the Arab Gulf monarchies to finally adopt a no-tolerance rule toward all terrorist groups and to end the inexcusable...

January 27, 2016 | Michael Ledeen |

Hostages, Hostages, and Other Deals

Ransoming hostages is nothing new, indeed it’s routine for most countries and happens with increasing frequency for the U.S. government and American corporations. The current minifuror over...

June 3, 2015 | Thomas Joscelyn

Slow Release

A few more documents from the bin Laden raid are finally revealed. They do not flatter the judgment of the Obama administration.

February 2, 2015 | Thomas Joscelyn

CNN: 1 of the Taliban 5 Back in the Game

CNN’s Barbara Starr reports that the U.S. military and inte...

January 20, 2015 | David Weinberg The Long War Journal

Analysis: Former al Qaeda Operative Freed, Sent Home to Qatar

Editor's Note: For more on Qatar's track record in fighting terrorism, see Dr. Weinberg's report for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies&#...

January 20, 2015 | Thomas Joscelyn The Long War Journal

Ex-Gitmo Detainee Leads Contingent of Islamic State Fighters in Afghanistan

A former Guantanamo detainee, Mullah Raouf Khadim, is reportedly leading a contingent of Islamic State fighters in Afghanistan's southern province of Helmand. Khad...

August 26, 2014 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Why Al Qaeda Released An American Hostage

Earlier today, the news broke that Peter Theo Curtis, an American who had been held hostage in Syria since 2012, has been released by his captors. Coming just days after another American hostage,...

July 15, 2014 | Jonathan Schanzer |

Friendless In The Middle East

One week after the start of Israel’s “Operation Protective Edge,” also known as Hamas’ “10th of Ramadan War,” Washington is looking on helplessly. Preside...

July 2, 2014 | |

Qatar Lite: The Mideast Maverick May Be Retreating

The Middle East’s most provocative, profligate microstate seems to be entering a more subdued stage. In a development Qatar’s neighbors should try to expand, the country’s new e...