Islamic Jihad Union

May 22, 2025 | Bill Roggio, Ahmad Sharawi

Syrian military integrates Al Qaeda-linked terror group into its ranks

The new Syrian government is integrating a Central Asian terrorist group that is part of Al Qaeda’s network into its military, despite the objections of US President Donald Trump. The head of this terror...

May 16, 2025 | Ahmad Sharawi |

Trump presses Sharaa on foreign fighters as jihadists rise in Syria’s new army

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump held talks with Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a designated terrorist by both the US and the United Nations and the former head of Syria’s...

December 12, 2024 | Bill Roggio |

Hayat Tahrir al Sham’s terror network in Syria

On December 8, 2024, rebel forces deposed the regime of Syria’s longtime dictator, Bashar al Assad, after the insurgents stormed through much of the country, retaking various regional capitals and culminating...

April 27, 2023 | The LWJ Editors |

FDD’s Long War Journal’s response to Zalmay Khalilzad’s Twitter thread

In a brief Twitter thread responding to a recent article from The Washington Post, Zalmay Khalilzad, one of the key architects of the 2020 Doha Agreement that set the stage for the collapse...

January 30, 2023 | Bill Roggio |

Kabul Attack Network commander brags about suicide assaults in TV interview

A co-leader of what the U.S. military called the Kabul Attack Network appeared on Afghan television and bragged about his role in killing thousands of Afghans and hundreds of U.S. and Coalition personnel...

December 15, 2021 | Bill Roggio |

Pakistani Taliban emir says his group “is a branch of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”

The leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan (TTP) said that his group “is a branch of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” during a tour of several of the group’s bases across Pakistan’s...

November 9, 2021 | Bill Roggio |

Taliban appoints Kabul Attack Network commander as provincial governor

A notorious Taliban commander who organized attacks in and around the capital of Kabul, including deadly attacks on U.S. soldiers and civilians, was appointed by the Taliban to serve as the governor of...

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....

June 25, 2021 | Thomas Joscelyn |

The Situation in Afghanistan Is Much Worse Than You Realize

The U.S. military is downplaying the Taliban’s gains, and the U.S. and U.N. are pretending there is a viable peace process.

May 25, 2021 | Bill Roggio |

Analysis: Predicting the coming Taliban offensive

As the U.S. withdraws from Afghanistan after two decades, the Taliban is doubling down on its efforts to retake the country by force of arms to restore its Islamic Emirate. The question isn’t whether...

April 8, 2021 | Bill Roggio |

Analysis: Al Qaeda continues to operate throughout Afghanistan

April 2, 2021 | Bill Roggio |

As U.S. seeks peace, Taliban celebrates its jihadist training camps

As the Biden administration desperately presses the Taliban and the Afghan government to settle the 20 year old war for control of Afghanistan before the May 1 deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw, the...

August 14, 2019 | Bill Roggio |

Taliban promotes its ‘Preparation for Jihad’

1) From Taliban’s new ‘Preparation for Jihad’ video: Taliban fighters going through obstacle course, reminiscent if al Qaeda training camp videos. Note the Taliban fighters are wearing...

June 23, 2019 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Al Qaeda growing stronger under Taliban’s umbrella, UN finds

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March 5, 2019 | Thomas Joscelyn, Bill Roggio

UN: Al Qaeda continues to view Afghanistan as a ‘safe haven’

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February 7, 2019 | Bill Roggio, Thomas Joscelyn

Taliban continues to host foreign terrorist groups, despite assurances to the contrary

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July 21, 2016 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Treasury designates 3 senior al Qaeda members in Iran

The Treasury Department announced today that three senior al Qaeda members have been added to the US...

January 15, 2015 | Bill Roggio The Long War Journal

US Drones Kill 2 ‘Uzbeks’ in South Waziristan

The US killed seven "militants," including two Uzbeks, in the second drone strike reported in Pakistan's tribal areas so far this year. The CIA-operated, remotely piloted Predators...

May 20, 2014 | Thomas Joscelyn

Al Qaeda In Afghanistan And Pakistan: An Enduring Threat

Chairman Poe, Ranking Member Sherman and members of the subcommittee, thank you for inviting me here today to discuss the enduring threat posed by al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is wide...

May 20, 2014 | Thomas Joscelyn

Al Qaeda In Afghanistan And Pakistan: An Enduring Threat

Chairman Poe, Ranking Member Sherman and members of the subcommittee, thank you for inviting me here today to discuss the enduring threat posed by al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is wide...