Jihadism and ‘the language of good and evil’
''The battle of Waterloo," the Duke of Wellington is supposed to have said, "was won on the playing fields of Eton." The battle against the Islamic State could be lost on the campuses o...
Jihadism
Gen. Flynn’s Warning
Two recent interviews have been the topic of lively debate within the so-called foreign policy community. First, President Obama told ...
Op-eds
Syria Spillover: The Growing Threat of Terrorism and Sectarianism in the Middle East
Chairman Menendez, Ranking Member Corker, and distinguished members of the committee, on behalf of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies,it is a...
Legislative Testimonies
The Jihadist Governance Dilemma
Co-authored by Amichai Magen After making astounding territorial gains in its war against the Iraqi government, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria – which has refash...
Op-eds
Modern Jihadists
A secret CIA plot was revealed last week: Beginning almost ten years ago, the agency set in motion a plan to make Osama bin Laden...
Op-eds
The Enemy Of My Enemy Is My Enemy
When Ottoman armies marched into Europe in the mid-14th century, Europeans started looking hopefully eastward for enemies of the Turks. Spanish and French kings sent ambassadors to Tamerl...
Op-eds
Jihadist Blowback?
On May 24, a deadly shooting occurred at the Brussels Jewish Museum that left four dead: an Israeli couple, a French volunteer worker, and a Belgian museum employee. A few days later, as the susp...
Op-eds
Our Libya Intervention — Failure Disguised as Success
There was some rare good news coming out of Libya this month. Oil exports were set to resume from...
Op-eds
Successes and Failures of the U.S. and NATO Intervention in Libya
Download the full written testimony here (PDF). Ch...
Legislative Testimonies
Middle East Future Shock
Almost a hundred years ago, the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the last in a succession of Islamic caliphates stretching back more than a millennium, transformed the Middle East – first, i...
Op-eds
Not Quiet on the Northern Front
Co-authored by Jonathan Spyer The disintegration of the Syrian state into warring enclaves is bringing with it new challenges and threats for Israel. Alarm bells have now been s...
Op-eds
An Escalation in Tunisia: How the State Went to War with Ansar al-Sharia
Co-authored by Bridget Moreng Since the fall of Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011, the country has been challenged by the aggressive growth of a dom...
Op-eds
Syria’s Jihadist Twitter Wars
In March 2012, Omar Hammami, the American jihadist who called himself Abu Mansour al Amriki and fought for Shabaab, al-Qaeda’s branch in Somalia, released a short videotape ...
Op-eds
Al Qaeda’s Expansion in Egypt Implications for U.S. Homeland Security
Chairman King, Ranking Member Higgins, members of the committee, thank you for inviting me here today to discuss al Qaeda’s presence in Egypt. The uprisings throughou...
Legislative Testimonies
The Arab Spring and Al-Qaeda’s Resurgence
Chairman McKeon, Ranking Member Smith, distinguished members of the committee, it is an honor to appear before you to discuss the state of al-Qaeda, its affiliates, and associated groups. My test...
Legislative Testimonies
The Arab Spring and Al-Qaeda’s Resurgence
Download the full testimony (PDF). Chairman McKeon...
Legislative Testimonies
Interpreting Al Qaeda
The last year was a good one for al Qaeda, and for jihadism more broadly. Al Qaeda af...
Op-eds
Analysis: Despite Plight of Mideast Christians, Some Leaders Still Single Out Israel
The deadly bomb attacks in Christian districts of Iraq’s capital Baghdad on Christmas Day caused the deaths of 37 people. One bomb appeared to target congregants leaving a Ca...
Op-eds
Political, Economic, and Security Situation in Africa
Watch the hearing here. Chairman Kaine, Ranking Member Risch...
Legislative Testimonies
Israel’s Pre-Attack Anxiety
TEL AVIV — There is "some tension" here, said Valentin, an employee at a hotel on the bustling tourist beach strip in central Tel Aviv, Israel. In a classic understated Israeli way, Valenti...