Shabaab storms army base in central Somalia
Though Somalia says the raid was repelled, the major attack nevertheless came just days after a similar raid was conducted on a Ugandan military base in southern Somalia.
Yearly Archives: 2023
Shabaab overruns Ugandan base in Somalia
The massive raid comes as Shabaab is facing its biggest challenge to its rule and territory in over a decade.
Lebanese Hezbollah Making Preparations to Target US Troops in Syria
Musa Ali Daqduq, a Hezbollah military commander and Specially Designated Global Terrorist, is training the “Golan Unit” to attack American troops operating in Syria.
Analysis: Israel, Islamic Jihad, and Other Palestinian Armed Groups Enter Conflict
Israel eliminates members of Islamic Jihad’s leadership in an effort to restore deterrence lost since the last year’s operation in Gaza.
Generation Jihad Ep. 93 — Context for Turkey’s election
Host Bill Roggio is joined by two of his FDD colleagues to unpack the context surrounding Turkey’s imminent presidential elections.
Jonathan Schanzer is the Senior Vice President for Research at FDD, where Sinan Ciddi is a non-resident senior fellow. Both are Turkey experts. (One has taken a harder hit from pro-government Turks on Twitter than the other.)
From President Erdogan’s thinly-veiled political opportunism — like his 180 on Syria; his regional charm offensive, particularly with Israel; and his role as a U.S. “counterterrorism partner” — and his blatant corruption — like his mismanagement of earthquake aid and his allowing Turkey to be a terrorist superhighway — to an opposition candidate’s eleventh hour dropout, this is your starter pack for understanding what’s about to unfold in Turkey.
The Taliban promises China it won’t allow terrorists to use Afghanistan as launching pad
The Taliban has made this false statement for decades, even prior to 9/11. After al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri was killed in Kabul, Taliban promises like this should be dismissed out of hand. Foreign terror groups continue to operate in Afghanistan to this day.
Generation Jihad Ep. 92 — Islamic State deep dive
Host Bill Roggio and co-host Caleb Weiss are joined by the associate professor for national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, Dr. Craig Whiteside, for a deep dive into the ranks of the Islamic State. They discuss leaders of past and present and their roles within the broader IS.
U.S. State Department officials speak at same conference as dangerous Iran-backed Iraqi terrorist
Senior U.S. State Department officials spoke at the same conference as Qais al Khazali, a known Shia terrorist who is responsible for arming, training and forming the deadly Iranian-backed militias that are known to have killed hundreds of U.S. troops in Iraq.
FDD’s Long War Journal’s response to Zalmay Khalilzad’s Twitter thread
FDD’s Long War Journal responds to the former ambassador’s assertion that assessments of Afghanistan once again becoming a terrorist safe haven are false.
Israel Arrests Jordanian Lawmaker Suspected of Smuggling Weapons to the West Bank
Israeli authorities arrested Jordanian MP Imad al-Adwan on suspicion of smuggling weapons and gold into the West Bank.
Generation Jihad Ep. 91 — Global Jihad Update: West Africa to Southeast Asia
Bill Roggio is joined by co-host Caleb Weiss to unpack updates related to the global Jihad from West Africa to Southeast Asia, including CENTCOM’s announcement of a helicopter raid that targeted a senior Islamic State official.
Analysis: Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb encourages its Sahelian wing to continue fighting the Islamic State
Abu Yasir al-Jaza’iri, an Algerian ideologue in al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, offers the group’s harshest rebuke of the Islamic State to date.
U.S. adds Al Qaeda leader in Syria to list of global terrorists
Sami al-Uraydi, a Jordanian national and senior leader within al-Qaeda’s official branch in Syria, has been designated.
Analysis: Iran Leverages Armed Groups Against Israel
In a coordinated effort, Iran has supported, funded and encouraged its network of armed groups on Israel’s borders to launch attacks.
Generation Jihad Ep. 90 — Israel and her enemies
To unpack and assess the latest terror threats faced by Israel, Bill had to call in the experts: Dr. Jonathan Schanzer and Joe Truzman.
If you’d like to dig deeper on the topics discussed in this episode, we recommend you check out Joe’s project on mapping terrorism in the West Bank and Jon’s book “Gaza Conflict 2021: Hamas, Israel and Eleven Days of War” which according to LTG (Ret.) H.R. McMaster: “If you want to understand the hell in a very small place that is Gaza, read this book.”
Iran-backed Militias Target U.S. Troops in Eastern Syria
Iran-backed groups launch rocket and drone strikes against U.S. bases in eastern Syria.
Popular Resistance Committees Attempts To Establish a Foothold in the West Bank
Israel’s security agency says it arrested four Palestinians for attempting to carry out attacks against Israelis on behalf of the Gaza-based Popular Resistance Committees.
American, French hostages freed in the Sahel
Jeff Woodke, who spent over six years captive in the Sahel, and Olivier Dubois, who spent almost two years as a hostage, were finally freed from the clutches of al-Qaeda’s men in the Sahel. The United States has denied paying a ransom.
How Much Can Iranian Artillery Ammo Help Russia?
Moscow is allegedly looking to Iran to help redress its artillery ammo shortage. But while Iranian supplies can help, they likely can’t sustain Russia’s current rate of fire.
Hezbollah suspected in a cross-border attack inside Israel
The Israeli military suspects Hezbollah is behind a bombing in northern Israel that injured an Israeli driver.
Hamas Lauds Terror Attack in Tel Aviv, Hints of Role Behind Shooting
Hamas issued a statement congratulating Mutaz al-Khawaja after he carried out a shooting attack near a Tel Aviv café on Thursday.
Detailing Shabaab’s Leadership and Key Personnel
Generation Jihad Ep. 89 — Update on the War Between the Wars
Host Bill Roggio is joined by FDD Senior Fellow Behnam Ben Taleblu to disuss Behnam’s major new FDD Monograph — Arsenal: Assessing the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ballistic Missile Program — including through the lens of Iran’s shadow war against Israel, AKA “the war between wars.”
US adds $5 million bounty to the Islamic State’s leader in the DRC
Musa Baluku, the leader of the Islamic State’s Central Africa Province (known locally as the Allied Democratic Forces), has joins other infamous Sunni jihadists actively sought after by the United States government.
Hezbollah Fighter Killed Under Unclear Circumstances
Hezbollah announced that a fighter belonging to the group died while performing his jihadi duty.
Gaza-Based Militant Group Formally Acknowledges Presence in the West Bank
On Saturday, the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement published a statement saying the group was active in the West Bank.
Generation Jihad Ep. 88 — al Qaeda and Islamic State findings in new UN report
Host Bill Roggio and (now official) co-host Caleb Weiss are joined by former coordinator of the UN Security Council Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring team Edmund Fitton-Brown to discuss findings in the latest UN report on the Islamic State and al Qaeda.
Social Media: An Important Tool Used By Palestinian Militant Groups
Hamas and other aligned Palestinian militant organizations have taken advantage of social media to spread propaganda to supporters.
UN reports veteran al Qaeda leader likely back in action in Afghanistan
The U.S. captured al Qaeda key commander Abu Ikhlas al Masri in 2010. He was freed from Bagram prison after the Taliban takeover in 2021, and is thought to have reformed an Al Qaeda unit.
Pakistani Taliban kills scores in mosque bombing in Peshawar
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, claimed credit for the deadly attack. The Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan denied involvement, while it and the Afghan Taliban cynically claimed it would never strike a mosque.