-
The Houthis’ Red Sea power play
The Houthis are on the offensive in Yemen, threatening one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints and bringing the war back to Saudi Arabia’s doorstep. Bill Roggio is joined by FDD research analyst and Long War Journal contributor Bridget Toomey to discuss the Iranian-backed group’s renewed campaign to conquer Yemen, its advances along the Red Sea coast, and its siege of the strategic city of Taiz.
-
Ukrainian intelligence details new low-cost Russian cruise missile
A new missile called the Filin adds to Russia’s growing arsenal of low-cost, long-range munitions, placing strain on Ukraine’s overstretched air defenses. Ukraine is expected to scale production of faster interceptor drones, but this addresses only part of the challenge of countering Russia’s evolving missile and drone capabilities.
-
Protests break out in Syria against ‘Israeli incursions and attacks’ as tensions rise
Protests erupted across southern Syria and Damascus on October 23 against Israeli military operations in the buffer zone along the Golan border, following reports that a Syrian man with disabilities was killed during an IDF raid. The protests come amid growing Syrian condemnation of Israeli incursions, as well as diplomatic efforts by Syrian officials to…
-
FBI arrests alleged Islamic State supporter accused of plotting to assassinate Texas congressman
A 17-year-old Texas teenager allegedly plotted to assassinate Republican US Representative Keith Self at a veterans’ fundraiser as part of a broader Islamic State-inspired terrorist plot. Federal agents arrested the suspect after he acquired a firearm.
-
Iran says it has agreement with Iraq to expel Kurdish Iranian opposition groups
Iran’s ambassador to Iraq claimed on October 20 that Iraq has agreed to expel Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in the Kurdistan Region. The announcement came amid increased Iranian attacks on these groups and as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party withdraws from positions in northern Iraq as part of a peace process with Turkey. An Iraqi…
-
Pakistan-Taliban border clashes continue amid diplomatic efforts
Pakistani forces and the Taliban exchanged heavy fire along the border as Russia, the European, and China pressed for dialogue and action against terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan.
-
Lebanon revokes Iranian bank’s license amid US pressure over Hezbollah financing
Lebanon has revoked Bank Saderat Iran’s operating license amid US pressure to disrupt Hezbollah’s financial networks. The bank has a documented history of channeling Iranian funds to Hezbollah, but whether Lebanese authorities have closed its branches or initiated liquidation proceedings remains unclear.
-
Hezbollah accuses Lebanese police of violating security coordination procedure after supporters reportedly obstruct raid
Armed men identifying themselves as Hezbollah supporters reportedly surrounded Lebanese security personnel conducting an October 16 raid on a pharmaceutical warehouse near Beirut’s southern suburbs. Hezbollah subsequently claimed the officers had violated an agreed security coordination procedure with the group.
-
Profile: Hezbollah’s new liaison to the Lebanese state and society
Hussain al Abdallah, the new chief of Hezbollah’s Liaison and Coordination Unit who succeeded Wafiq Safa, reportedly sought the return of explosives seized by Lebanese security forces in early October. Abdallah’s career spans more than two decades in Hezbollah’s southern security apparatus.
-
Israel reportedly blocks Board of Peace base in Gaza, IDF reports 31 ceasefire violations October 1–15
Efforts to implement the US-backed Board of Peace’s plans for Gaza remain stalled on the ground, with a first military facility still unbuilt, but preparations for Hamas’s disarmament and international reconstruction cooperation are moving forward. Meanwhile, Hamas maintains its grip on Gaza’s civilian administration and commercial activity, despite its July declaration that it was relinquishing…
-
Iraqi commander killed by Islamic State following Iraqi airstrikes against the group
An Iraqi brigadier general and two other military personnel were killed by an explosive device linked to the Islamic State near Kirkuk on October 14, a day after Iraqi F-16s carried out airstrikes against Islamic State positions in the area. The incident underscores the continued threat posed by the remnants of the jihadist group in…
All Articles
-
THIS is Jihad
As al Qaeda continues to fight in Iraq, it exposes its true nature to the Iraqi people, and to the rest of the world… if only the world would pay attention. Chester points us to an interrogation of Abed, a member of al Qaeda affiliate Ansar al-Islam. Abed’s band of murderers routinely practiced rape and political assassinations. A revolting taste: Interrogator: “Is this Jihad – raping women? Is this Jihad?” Abed: “It is because they collaborated with the Americans.” Interrogator: “That’s why they were raped?” Abed: “Yes.” Interrogator: “A student who is simply going to her university is kidnapped, raped,…
-
More Middlemen
Al Qaeda’s middle managers continue to take a beating. Two senior commanders, one in Saudi Arabia, and one in Turkey, have been removed from action. The dismantlement of al Qaeda’s middle managers – its most senior field operatives with extensive knowledge, training and contacts in the jihadi world – is crucial to reducing al Qaeda’s abilities to carry out mass casualty attacks. In Saudi Arabia, Salah Mohammed al-Aufi, the commander of the Saud branch of “the deviant group” – the Kingdom’s term for al Qaeda – has been killed in a gunfight after Saudi security forces launched multiple raids against…
-
War on the Subcontinent
The multiple bombings throughout Bangladesh highlights the scope of the war, al Qaeda’s global reach and their reliance on local jihadi groups to extend their reach. Bangladesh has no troops in Iraq, is not an occupied country, nor does it have close ties to the West, yet Islamist terrorism exists all the same. Bangladeshi security forces intensified a hunt on Thursday for militants who simultaneously set off hundreds of crude bombs across the country, killing two people and injuring about 100. Roughly 200 homemade bombs exploded on the streets, at courts and near key government buildings in various places across…
-
Constitutional Delay
Iraq’s political process temporarily stalled due to wrangling over the content of the constitution. The requested one week delay in submitting the constitution to the Iraqi assembly by the August 15 deadly is chalked up to disagreement over the role of Islam, women’s rights, federalism and the disbursement of oil revenues. Robert Mayer of Publius Pundit provides an excellent look at the import of these disagreements and their political origins. While the failure to meet the deadline is disappointing, there are some positives which can be taken from this experience. 1) The Iraqis followed the appropriate legal and political process…
-
The Seven Phases of The Base
With the fourth anniversay of the hot war between al Qaeda and the West approaching, it is interesting to see how al Qaeda’s strategy and objectives have evolved since the United States committed to engaging in open warfare. The Word Unheard points us to an article in Spiegel Online by a Jordanian journalist Fouad Hussein, who is believed to be a reliable source of information on al Qaeda. His main source for this article on al Qaeda strategy is none other than Saif al-Adel, al Qaeda’s military commander who is currently operating from Iran. al Qaeda’s purported strategy can be…
-
More Red-on-Red
“We have had enough of his nonsense. We don’t accept that a non-Iraqi should try to enforce his control over Iraqis, regardless of their sect — whether Sunnis, Shiites, Arabs or Kurds.” – Sheik Ahmad Khanjar, leader of the Sunni Albu Ali clan, referring to Abu Musab al Zarqawi Red-on-red incidents between al Qaeda and Sunni insurgents are nothing new in Anbar province. We saw numerous instances of this when al Qaeda attempted to impose its will on the Sunnis in Qaim along the Syrian border. However the Washington Post provides a new twist to the internecine warfare between the…
-
Building the Iraqi Army Redux
A major reason Iraqi Security Forces are deemed “not operational” (in New York Times parlance) is their inability to sustain their own logistical support system. At the risk of beating the dead horse, it is important to stress that the majority of Iraqi units are able to conduct combat operations, but are restricted from fully independent operations due to their reliance on the US logistical support (explained here, here, and here). General Fontaine explains the Iraqi army is making real progress in improving their support systems, and three of the planned nine (to ten) combat support regiments are fully operational.…
-
“More are on the way”
The question of the readiness of the Iraqi Army to take a major role in fighting the insurgency is often asked, and reports from the media have been less than helpful in answering this question. As we have seen, the mantra from the professional media has been that ‘few Iraqi Army units are fully operational’ and therefore the Iraqi Army is not engaged in the fight against the insurgency. The number often given is 3 battalions that are ‘fully operational’; leading the reader to believe the Iraqi Army is nowhere near ready with entering the fight. This characterization is both…
-
The End of Quick Strike
Operation Quick Strike has ended. According to Colonel Stephen Davis, the commanding officer of Regimental Combat Team 2, which was executing the operation; “This is another operation, similar to those conducted before, that has disrupted the insurgents’ ability to operate freely in the western Al Anbar region.” The importance of local intelligence in conducting the string of raids along the Euphrates River should not be overlooked, nor should the local population’s frustration with the insurgency and al Qaeda’s presence and mode of operations. A trusted source whose son is on his second tour of duty in the region explains “the…
-
Shuffling Forces
While much of the news on force deployments to Iraq have focused on the prospects of a drawdown in the spring of 2006, the Department of Defense is discussing the possibility of increasing forces in Iraq to provide security for the October and December elections. Often overlooked is the fact that the US has begun handing over bases and security responsibilities to Iraqi Army and police units to allow them to take control of areas deemed to be secure. A joint U.S.-Iraqi committee has been established to identify areas that could be handed over and to work out the technical…
-
Quick Strike Update
News reports from Operation Quick Strike are sparse. According to the Washington Post, the strke force consists of “180 Iraqi soldiers and 900 members of the 2nd Marine Division, backed by M1-A1 Abrams tanks, helicopters and jets.” This equates to about a company of Iraqi forces attached to a marine battalion. A car bomb factory containing six vehicles was uncovered in Haqlaniyah. According to the Kuwait News Agency, the Coalition is in control of the region targeted by Quick Strike, and operations are intensifying in Haditha: The joint US-Iraqi forces tightened their grip on Haditha town and Al-Khafajiya village after…
-
The Anbar Campaign Revisited
The commencement of Operation Quick Strike raises the question of whether operations in Anbar have taken a radical departure from past operations, or whether Quick Strike is the beginning of a new phase of the Anbar Campaign. Chester argues Quick Strike should be viewed separately from the spring/summer operations as the establishment of a base at Rawah and the repositioning of a Stryker Brigade from the Mosul theater is a major departure from either operations. I disagree, for three reasons. First, the repositioning of a Stryker Brigade was not done in haste, but requires long term planning. The Los Angeles…
-
Continuing Ops, Trouble in Mosul
While Operation Quick Strike continues, Coalition forces conduct Operations Able Warrior and Vanguard Thunder in and around Baghdad. The operations are being conducted simultaneously along the Euphrates river and are targeting specific terrorists cells. In Mosul, a letter from Abu Zayd (the “emir of Farming reform battalion on the west side”) to Zarqawi is intercepted. The picture he paints of the leadership of the insurgency and conditions within the insurgency is not pretty. [Abu Zayd] cited the incompetence of Mosul’s emirs and the disobedience of other people in the network. It discussed “the noticeable decrease in the attacks carried out…
-
Operation Quick Strike
I’ll be brief as I am heading out for a weekend vacation… The latest offensive in the Anbar Campaign on the Euphrates River has been designated Operation Quick Strike. The battle was planned prior to the deadly attacks on US Marines earlier this week, and has been engaged since Wednesday. The cities targeted are Haditha, Haqlaniya and the Barwanah area. About 1,000 U.S. Marines and Iraqi soldiers are participating in Operation Quick Strike, which began Wednesday. The offensive was not retaliatory but planned in advance of three insurgent attacks that killed 21 Marines earlier this week in Haditha and Hit,…
-
The Anbar Campaign
The series of operations being conducted in the Anbar province along the Euphrates River must be looked upon not as isolated operations, but part of an overall campaign to wrest the Anbar province from the insurgency and al Qaeda. During a Department of Defense press briefing, General Ham alludes to the existence of the Anbar Campaign. Wretchard astutely picks up General Ham’s cue during a line of questioning on the violence in Haditha. Reporter: Can you describe like how many forces, what the — I mean, is this a — I mean, I understand Operation Sword had been going on…
-
Haditha, Marine Snipers, Ansar al-Sunnah, and the Greater War
The Marines of the 3/25 Marine Reserve battalion have taken in inordinate amount of casualties in the fighting in and around Haditha the past several days. Jack details the toll taken by the Marines of 3/25 and their families. Mr. Kelly correctly points out that while the greater casualties were taken in the IED strike on the amphibious assault vehicle, the loss of the sniper teams is of greater import from a military perspective; “The death of the six concerns me more than the destruction of the amtrak. They evidently were ambushed, and had no support nearby.” There is little…
-
Hot in Haditha
The River War continues. US Marines are engaged in a tough fight in the Euphrates River city of Haditha. Operation New Market commenced on May 25 to pacify the city, and the fighting has intensified in recent days. On August 1, six Marines were killed when engaging the enemy in a firefight. On August 2, terrorists conducted the perfect roadside bombing, and fourteen Marines were killed when their amphibious assault vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. The terrorists continue to shield themselves by using civilian infrastructure as their bases of operations. A school is turned into a pillbox…
-
LeT it be
The aftershocks from the 7/7 and 7/21 attacks on the London tubes and the Sharm el-Sheikh bombing in Egypt extend to Pakistan. Several of the London terrorists were of Pakistani descent and are believed to have trained and attended madrassa in Pakistan. The initial investigation of the Sharm el-Sheikh bombings in Egypt pointed to men of Pakistani origins (this was later dismissed by Egyptian intelligence). Whether directly related to Pakistan or not, the finger has been pointed in its direction, and recent terrorist attacks highlight the presence of radical Islamists in Pakistan. President Pervez Musharraf has responded by ordering foreign…
-
The Ratline Manual
As infiltration from the Syrian Ratline into Iraq continues, another jihadi’s guide to entering Iraq from Syria has surfaced. Evan Kohlmann provides a translation of The New Road to Mesopotamia, which was purportedly written by a jihadi named Al-Muhajir Al-Islami. The guide is an interesting window into the operations of the enemy. Al-Islami covers many aspects of the passage to Iraq. The main points discussed are the entry points into Iraq, why these entry points are conducive to successful infiltration, the actions of the Syrian government, the finances of the jihadis and the sophistication of their operations. The author outlines…
-
Nuclear Iran
Iran’s desire to become a nuclear power is moving forward. Negotiations between Iran and the EU-3 (Britain, France and Germany) have reached an impasse, and Iran demands the EU-3 settle the issue by today, or the UN seals on the Isfahan nuclear reactor will be broken and fuel processing and research will immediately resume. Iran’s actions have contributed to the rise of oil prices, as investors fear “another risk to the stability in the region.” The timing of ultimatum is remarkable as the Washington Post reports the EU-3 is prepared to offer Iran a sweetheart deal, “a package that includes…
