Khalid Batarfi and the Future of AQAP
Batarfi’s selection checks two important boxes for AQAP. First, he is from the Arabian Peninsula, as was the case with both of the group’s former leaders. Keep Reading
That Time an al-Qaeda Training Camp Was Allegedly Wiped Out by Plague
In 2009, the body of an al-Qaida militant left by a roadside in Algeria was supposedly determined to have died of bubonic plague. His body was found in Tizi Ouzou province, 90 miles from Algiers. Keep Reading
The Next Caliphate Would Emerge in West Africa, Warns U.S. General
“ISIS and Al Qaeda are on the march in West Africa. They're having success and the international efforts are not." Keep Reading
Al-Qaeda’s Bastions of Power: Somalia and Yemen
Al-Qaeda’s Yemen affiliate was bolstered by its merger in 2009 with the Saudi Arabian al-Qaeda affiliate forming al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). This merger poses a significant destabilization threat throughout the Arabian Peninsula. Keep Reading
A Tiny Army Is Fighting for 20 Million Lives: Can Mali’s Military Grow Fast Enough?
Malian troops are rapidly losing ground, officials in this West African nation say, as militants linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State sweep the rural north and push toward bigger cities. Keep Reading
Al-Qaeda Lauds Taliban’s Great ‘Victory’ Over America and Allies
The Taliban’s political delegation also agreed to three provisions stipulating that the group would prevent terrorists who threaten the U.S. from operating inside Afghanistan. But the terms of those same provisions are vague. Keep Reading
How the Taliban Deal Could Inspire Other Terrorists
Terrorists no longer live, communicate, or recruit in silos: a victory against a common enemy is viewed as a victory for all. Keep Reading
U.S. Creates New Envoy Position to Counter Rising Terrorism in Sahel
The United States has created a special envoy for Africa’s Sahel region, a State Department spokesman said on Friday, to counter rising violence from groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State which are expanding their foothold. Keep Reading
Clashes Break Out in Somalia, Slowing Fight Against al-Qaeda-Linked Insurgents
Somali troops clashed with a regional militia on Friday in one of the most serious outbreaks of fighting yet over political rivalries that Washington says are slowing the war against al Qaeda-linked insurgents. Keep Reading
Al-Qaeda, ISIS Affiliates Team Up in West Africa, Says U.S. Special Operations Command Africa Leader
The leader of U.S. Special Operations Command Africa described the threat even as the Pentagon considers reducing the U.S. military presence in Africa. Keep Reading