Several years and many thousands of jihad fighters from at least 70 countries joining the Syrian blood-bath has finally raised the alarm that Syria has replaced Afghanistan as the new training ground for al Qaeda and its like. Western law … [Read more...] about Jihadis Returning/Redeploying from Syria
Al Qaeda
Weekly Briefing – May 3 – 10, 2014
U.S. National Security's Achilles Heel - The Electromagnetic Spectrum - - Rachel Ehrenfeld - On December 23, 2013, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency issued a solicitation “to … conduct satellite system performance modeling, satellite system … [Read more...] about Weekly Briefing – May 3 – 10, 2014
Al Qaeda and the U.S. Intelligence*
Left: The Late Abu Khaled al-Suri On April 30, 2014, the State Department issued its latest Country Reports on Terrorism. Dealing with 2013, it confirms what we have known for some time: that the numbers of terrorists and acts of terrorism are … [Read more...] about Al Qaeda and the U.S. Intelligence*
From Osama to Obama: The Decline of the Pax Americana
“If you don’t know where you’re going, any path will take you there.” -- Chinese Proverb... It all began in September of 2001. When on January 1, 2000, the United States entered the twenty-first century, it was not only the richest and most … [Read more...] about From Osama to Obama: The Decline of the Pax Americana
Why “Benghazi”?*
Washington is notoriously a one-crisis town. And it may well be that the growing concern over Russian aggression in Ukraine and Vladimir Putin’s threats to other former Soviet-occupied areas in Central and Eastern Europe will soak up all the … [Read more...] about Why “Benghazi”?*
Al Qaeda’s Expanding Caliphate *
The successors to Mohammed as leaders of the Muslim religion bore the title of "Caliph". The Caliphate has undergone numerous historical transformations and was never recognized by the Shiites, who claim that the legitimate line was cut short by … [Read more...] about Al Qaeda’s Expanding Caliphate *
ACD Weekly Briefing April 5 – 11, 2014
The American Center for Democracy is pleased to announce that Houston T. "Terry" Hawkins, Senior Fellow/Senior Scientist, Principal Associate Directorate for Global Security, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), New Mexico, has joined the ACD Board … [Read more...] about ACD Weekly Briefing April 5 – 11, 2014
Yemen: The Never-Ending Battleground
Yesterday's attack that killed at least 20 Yemeni soldiers is the latest Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula's (AQAP) atrocity in the region. It came at a time the country is debating the February 10 Regions Defining Committee's decision to turn Yemen … [Read more...] about Yemen: The Never-Ending Battleground
ACD Weekly Update, March 8 – 14
Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to announce that he will not annex Crimea to Russia even if Sunday's referendum outcome will favor such action, Rachel Ehrenfeld says in Crimean Tatars, However, in seizing Crimea, Vladimir Putin may well have … [Read more...] about ACD Weekly Update, March 8 – 14
Crimean Tatars and Jihad
Left: Crimean Tatars hold flags during rallies near the Crimean parliament building in Simferopol this week. (Baz Ratner/Reuters) In seizing Crimea, Vladimir Putin may well have bitten off more than he can chew. This, not because he lacks the power … [Read more...] about Crimean Tatars and Jihad