Since the fall of communism two and a half decades ago, militant Islamism has been planting seeds and spreading roots in various parts of southeastern Europe, particularly the former Yugoslavia. With the help of local allies, militant Islamists have … [Read more...] about The Ideology of Militant Islamism in Southeastern Europe
ACD/EWI Blog
Cybersecurity: America’s Achilles’ Heel
The Cybersecurity Framework, which was announced on February 12, 2014, by President Obama, has very little new to offer to the private sector. It’s only a guide to how everyone should be conceptualizing and communicating about cybersecurity … [Read more...] about Cybersecurity: America’s Achilles’ Heel
Connect the Dots . . . Please!
Recent press accounts illustrate the mainstream media’s growing awareness of threats to the electric power grid and the need to counter them. These threats extend from physical attacks, to cyber attacks, to natural and manmade electromagnetic pulse … [Read more...] about Connect the Dots . . . Please!
The Fatwa: From the Middle East to South Asia
In early February 2014 Egypt's shadowy Ansar Beit al-Maqdis (the ABM, or Partisans of Jerusalem) were continuing their attack on government forces and institutions. The Sinai-based Islamist intransigents, whose leadership appears tied to Al Qaeda … [Read more...] about The Fatwa: From the Middle East to South Asia
Why is Everything Going Wrong?*
It isn’t. There is an old axiom in the news business--or what is left of it as traditional newspapers die to be replaced, for the moment at least, by amateurism on the internet and its social networks--that good news is not news. So we get a steady … [Read more...] about Why is Everything Going Wrong?*
“Our Goal is Jerusalem” – Militant Islamists in Southeast Europe
Over the past several years, the Balkans has emerged as a new battleground for militant Islamism. [i] In June 2010, Islamist extremists bombed a police station in the central Bosnian town of Bugojno, killing one police officer and wounding six … [Read more...] about “Our Goal is Jerusalem” – Militant Islamists in Southeast Europe
Straws in the Wind?*
I never cease to be amazed at the well-honed ability of the media to devote most of its time and space to completely unimportant matters (yes, fans, such as the Super Bowl), while downplaying or completely ignoring events of potentially great … [Read more...] about Straws in the Wind?*
On the State of the Confusion*
The State of the Union Address was notable in that it provided nothing new-and misrepresented a number of important matters. The President's threat to veto legislation calling for sanctions on Iran if they do not cease their development of nuclear … [Read more...] about On the State of the Confusion*
Syria – Training Ground for Western Jihadists
Western governments are increasingly voicing their concern that growing numbers of their Muslim citizens who volunteered to fight the jihad in Syria, are becoming “battle-hardened extremists,” who are “exporting terrorism” to their home … [Read more...] about Syria – Training Ground for Western Jihadists
America: Bursting with Energy!
The U.S. energy juggernaut, powered by new technology and common sense, keeps rolling on. Gains in energy production and productivity probably account for much of the projected 3.5% increase in the gross national product in the last quarter of 2013. … [Read more...] about America: Bursting with Energy!